Biscoff Latte
Speculoos spread melted into the shot, milk poured over, biscuit crumbled on top. One technique to get right and the rest is assembly.
At a glance
- Espresso : milk
- 1:5
- Active time
- 3 min
- Total time
- 5 min
- Makes
- 1 large cup
- Serve
- Hot
- Kit
- Espresso machine
Ingredients
Note: Smooth spread, not crunchy. The biscuit pieces in crunchy sink, sit at the bottom and block a straw if you make it iced.
Method
-
Spread into the cup, shot onto it
Put the spread in the bottom of the cup and pull the double espresso directly onto it.
The shot leaves the machine at about 70°C, which is hot enough to melt it. Added to a finished latte, the spread will not dissolve and sits in a lump at the bottom.
25 to 30 seconds -
Stir hard until smooth
Work it with a spoon for twenty or thirty seconds. It will look separated and oily at first and then come together into a smooth caramel-coloured liquid.
Keep going until there is no texture left on the spoon.
Stir 30 seconds -
Steam the milk and pour
Texture 200 ml and pour it in from a height so it mixes through, then drop low to float some foam.
The spread contains fat, so the foam will be slightly flatter than a plain latte.
-
Crumble a biscuit over it
Break one biscuit between your fingers over the foam. It softens within a minute, which is the point.
Why this works
Speculoos is a Belgian spiced shortcrust biscuit, traditionally baked for St Nicholas in early December, flavoured with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and white pepper and sweetened with brown sugar or candi syrup. The spread is simply those biscuits ground and emulsified with oil, which is why it tastes like a biscuit rather than like caramel, despite the colour.
That spice list is what makes the drink work with coffee. Cinnamon and clove are the same notes that sit in a gingerbread latte, and the caramelised sugar lines up with the roast character of the espresso.
The melting rule is the same one that governs a mocha, for the same reason. The spread is a fat-based emulsion with suspended biscuit solids, and it needs both heat and agitation to disperse. Espresso straight from the group is the hottest thing in the drink; once the milk goes in, the temperature drops below the point where the fat flows freely and you are left stirring a lump.
It looks separated and unpromising about ten seconds into the stirring. Keep going. The emulsion breaks and then reforms with the coffee, and it comes together suddenly rather than gradually.
Variations
- Iced: melt the spread into the shot, cool it, then pour over ice and cold milk.
- With white chocolate: 10 g alongside the spread, which is very sweet.
- Frappé: blend the cooled base with milk and ice.
- With a pinch of salt, which cuts the sweetness noticeably.
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Questions
Why is the spread sitting at the bottom of my cup?
It went in after the milk. Put the spread in the empty cup, pull the espresso straight onto it, and stir for a full thirty seconds before adding anything else. It needs that heat to disperse.
Smooth or crunchy spread?
Smooth. The biscuit pieces in crunchy do not dissolve, so they sink and sit at the bottom, and they block a straw in the iced version.
What is speculoos?
A Belgian spiced biscuit traditionally baked for St Nicholas, flavoured with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and white pepper. The spread is those biscuits ground and emulsified with oil.
Can I use another cookie butter?
Yes, any speculoos or cookie butter spread behaves the same way. Check the sugar content, since some are considerably sweeter and you may want less.