Chocolate Speculoos Tart
Ever since we moved into an apartment together and I insisted on buying the smallest fridge-freezer in the entire kitchen appliance store as some sort of bizarre money-saving measure, I’ve been regretting winning the argument. (I’m convinced there’s a future blog post just waiting to be written on the subject of the strange arguments he lets me win, even when he knows I’m wrong).
Turns out, there’s no such thing as a fridge or freezer that’s too big. Not when you can stuff it with leftover bits of pastry, excess cookie dough and more than one flavour of ice-cream. Or perhaps it’s a mixed blessing that I had to evict an unbaked tart case from the freezer the other day, to make room for a bag of green chillies and a few wilting stalks of lemongrass.
Our fast and easy dessert that evening was this tart, filled with a mixture of pantry ingredients. Speculoos is one of my favourite cookies that I put in almost anything I can get away with. If you don’t have any, try the same recipe with gingersnaps or chocolate cookies. I’m thinking a Tim Tam version of this tart might have to be the next thing I tackle on my to-bake list.
Now if only there was another spare tart case in the freezer that needed to be used..
Chocolate Speculoos Tart :
125g butter
100g rapadura sugar or natural cane sugar
2 medium eggs
20g cocoa powder
125g speculoos, crushed or blitzed in the food processor
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
75g dark chocolate chips
1 x 23cm tart tin lined with sweet shortcrust pastry, unbaked
Preheat the oven to 170’C.
In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well. Fold in the speculoos crumbs, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt, followed by the chocolate chips. Spread the mixture evenly on top of the shortcrust pastry. Bake for about 30 minutes until the pastry is golden. Allow to cool on a wire rack before removing the tart from the tin. Serve warm or at room temperature with cinnamon whipped cream, sweetened yogurt or vanilla ice-cream.
Marte said,
February 13, 2012 @ 10:31 pm
This looks really good. I’m a Dutch girl and since speculoos (we call it speculaas) is typically Dutch, I’ve grown up eating way too much of these cookies. This recipe uses the cookies in a sophisticated way I haven’t seen before. Thanks for sharing!
Rosa said,
February 13, 2012 @ 10:35 pm
A droolwothy tart! It loos so tempting and sinful.
Cheers,
Rosa
Emma said,
February 13, 2012 @ 10:49 pm
I like speculoos chocolate, I bet I’d like a chocolate speculoos tart just as much:)
I love having a roomy freezer. The place we just moved into came with a lot of junk left behind by the owner, including a chest freezer in the basement…. that had food in it. A bunch of frozen meals, and two (2!) turkeys. Seems a bit excessive, but now I can buy half a cow at a time, or something, since I have the room.
Asha@FSK said,
February 14, 2012 @ 2:52 am
haha.. very true.. there is never a cooler big enough! On days on baking spree, it takes real outside the box thinking to make room in my fridge..:)
Perhaps it’s time to upgrade?
So, did you have any leftover of the tart to store?
Caitlin said,
February 14, 2012 @ 4:48 am
As someone who grew up with two fridge/freezer combos and two big chest freezers as well as a pantry for canned goods, I must agree. I also believe there’s no such thing as a kitchen that’s too large. Thankfully, J agrees with me, or else apartment hunting would be a bit stressful. As for the tart, that’s some nice cookie-on-tart action, and I’m not even a huge fan of speculoos!
Cherine said,
February 14, 2012 @ 5:47 am
I love this! Looks wonderful
Detective Chow said,
February 14, 2012 @ 8:37 am
Wow, that looks delicious. We had some speculoos chocolates in Belgium. (Wanted to compare them with the ones at Belle Fleur in Rozelle/Petersham.) I was surprised to find out that it isn’t gingerbread, though it’s similar.
Anyway, yum! Quick and easy you say? I’m there!
InTolerantChef said,
February 15, 2012 @ 1:12 pm
We have a big chest freezer that is always stuffed full. It drives my hubby batty when he rats through it! When we build our next home, he has already promised me a (small) walk in coolroom and freezer – he’s in the industry- so I can hardly wait! Now if only he’d get me a blast chiller too…….
Jamie said,
February 15, 2012 @ 4:25 pm
I am here to catch up on your blog and this is the post that popped up – a story that has me sighing for relief that I’m not the only idiot with a nearly non-existent freezer (sadly, I let HIM win that appliance store argument!) and a fabulous chocolate tart! Wow! And chocolate paired with speculoos is heavenly. Beautiful, Y.
Yue said,
February 17, 2012 @ 9:41 am
lovely photos & the tart looks absolutely divine 🙂
kitchenvoyage said,
February 18, 2012 @ 3:34 am
Great tart, and what a wrong decision with your freezer, i use more and more
Christy said,
February 22, 2012 @ 9:57 pm
Okay. First thing first. Women are always right in love-based relationships, even when we’re not. Heh, I’m soo glad I ended up buying a fridge that’s bigger than what 2 people need. My justification: if I cook more and have more leftovers, I can save money on food the next day. You can never have too much money and freezer/fridge space.
Hmm…I wish I could put a few slices of that tart in my (big) fridge right now…
the caked crusader said,
February 28, 2012 @ 3:31 am
This looks lovely – a slice of deliciousness.
I have long thought that anything less than a walk in fridge is too small – and there’s only two of us!
Mei @ Libertine Eats said,
March 1, 2012 @ 5:31 pm
You got me all excited with this! Might make it next week. 🙂 Have you tried speculoos spread?
Paula @Vintage Kitchen Notes said,
March 1, 2012 @ 10:37 pm
I always, for different reasons, find myself with cookies to use as crumbs. I usually use them to fill danish or rugelach, but I don´t seem to be able to use them fast enough. They just pile up in my freezer! I think this might just be the recipe!
The Food Sage said,
March 3, 2012 @ 12:45 pm
I haven’t come across speculoos but a gingersnap version sounds magic. Interesting that you should post about the fullness of your freezer … i’ve just blogged on the very same topic!
jibuyabu said,
March 5, 2012 @ 11:04 pm
As someone who also has a teeny fridge/freezer, I feel your pain! It was a gift though so didn’t have a choice in the size. I must made this tart soon as I love speculoos!
Lowongan Kerja said,
March 16, 2012 @ 1:48 am
Will definitely try the chocolate tart for my hubbie…