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Post by janetnj on Jul 30, 2011 9:03:17 GMT -5
It's Belgian not French, but hopefully it's ok to post here.
So far I've just tried it on toast and on a spoon right out of the jar. I'm curious how others have eaten it. Can you substitute it for peanut butter in cookie recipes?
Thanks!
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Post by PariS on Jul 30, 2011 14:49:26 GMT -5
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Post by janetnj on Aug 7, 2011 20:21:49 GMT -5
With the 2nd jar opened and no trips to Paris planned, I reached out to an English colleague to see if she could buy it in her local grocery store. She couldn't find it but is familiar with the cookie, or in her words lovely biscuit. She thought it would be good melted over ice cream.
She was intrigued so reached out to a colleague in Amersterdam who laughed - saying she'll need to send a lorry full because everyone will want it.
So it looks like I'll get restocked with product coming via colleagues traveling from Amsterdam to England to the US. In lieu of cash I'll repay with Vaseline Men's Cooling Hydration which apparently isn't available in England.
The barter system is alive and well.
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Post by PariS on Aug 7, 2011 23:40:29 GMT -5
LOL!
Janet, I was stunned to find Biscoff spread at my local grocery store a couple weeks ago! It's made by Lotus, the same brand of the Speculoos I brought home last month. You might check the stores in your area, too (by the peanut butter and Nutella).
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Post by kerouac on Aug 8, 2011 0:36:17 GMT -5
The Speculoos spread was only invented a few years ago, so it might take some time for an international cult following to demand export.
Then again, the French web is full of recipes for making speculoos spread yourself as well as pudding versions. If you can't get speculoos where you live, ginger snaps should do the trick.
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Post by Jody on Aug 8, 2011 1:50:03 GMT -5
I love the Speculoos cookies they serve on Delta and I can find them in y Publix! Mustremember to look for the spread.or bring some home! I should be taking the boat home rather than going!
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Post by sunshine817 on Aug 8, 2011 4:47:52 GMT -5
Janet, I wouldn't sub it for peanut butter -- the fat content is different, as speculoos paste is cookies blended with butter (and other stuff), while peanut butter is ground peanuts.
Biscoff is the US name that Lotus uses for all things speculoos -- there's some marketing logic, I'm sure, but I don't know what it is.
MAKE SURE you have the Lotus brand -- I bought a jar of speculoos paste here that was "artisanal", and it was like eating sugared clay. Blegh. I threw it out, thinking I just didn't like the stuff, then bought a jar of Lotus brand a few months later.
Oy. That stuff is crack in a jar, I swear, and I only dare buy a jar of it occasionally, as it disappears in days. When hubby asked DS what he liked it spread on the best, DS hesitated for a minute and said "a spoon...or my finger". Yeah, it's THAT good.
Chowhound had a post about it not too long ago, and people were chiming in from around the country that they were beginning to see it on the shelves. I'm pretty sure you can order it online from multiple sources, too -- even Amazon, if I recall.
(to my palate, speculoos/biscoff are caramelly and not ginger-snappy at all...ymmv)
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Post by kerouac on Aug 8, 2011 9:17:40 GMT -5
Here are the official spices in speculoos, so it is quite a variety: poivre blanc, cannelle, gingembre, clous de girofle, cardamome et noix de muscade.
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Post by Happygoin on Aug 8, 2011 10:03:51 GMT -5
I get everything except "clous de girofle"...what's that?
Oy....I just went and looked up some recipes for the Speculoos paste. They all call for Coconut Oil.
First, where on earth does one find coconut oil? And second, coconut oil is *so* bad for you. It would be easier to just eat a half dozen deep fried lard balls.
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Post by PariS on Aug 8, 2011 10:38:35 GMT -5
My jar (purchased here in the US) doesn't contain coconut oil. Here's the list of ingredients: Biscoff 57% (which contains wheat flour, sugar, vegetable oil [soy, sunflower, canola and/or palm] soy flour, brown sugar, leavening [sodium bicarbonate], salt, cinnamon) canola oil, sugar, emulsifier (soy lecithin), citric acid. While I'm at it, the nutrition info--per tablespoon: 88 calories; 52 calories from fat; total fat 9 grams; saturated fat 1 gram; trans fat 0 grams; cholesterol 0 mg; sodium 33 mg; total carb 8 grams; fiber 0 grams; sugars 5 grams; protein .5 grams; vitamin A 0, calcium 0; iron 0. Where's my spoon?  hehe |
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Post by Happygoin on Aug 8, 2011 11:48:52 GMT -5
Well, the good news is there's no trans fat  |
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Post by sunshine817 on Aug 8, 2011 13:27:20 GMT -5
"clous de girofle" is cloves
You *can* buy coconut oil over here, but I agree - I think I'd use something a little less likely to stop my heart in its tracks!
(but at 2,25 Euros per jar, I think I'll just go buy it.)
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Post by mossie on Aug 8, 2011 13:30:21 GMT -5
I do wish you ladies wouldn't worry your pretty little heads about a few fats or calories, food is to be enjoyed  A quick glance at "clous de girofle" had it translated in my head as "culs de giraffe"  which didn't sound that edible to me ;D ;D ;D |
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Post by Happygoin on Aug 9, 2011 10:41:37 GMT -5
ROFLMAO....I was thinking the exact same thing, Mossie!! No lie! Thanks for the translation, Amy. I never would have thought of cloves, although I should have. And I agree, just easier to buy the darned stuff and scarf it down  |
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Post by Belladonna on Aug 9, 2011 22:50:08 GMT -5
Too funny! Given that it is described as "crack in a jar" I don't think it would matter if there were "culs de giraffe" or any other giraffe parts in it ;D ;D. So regret not remembering to try it  |
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Post by janetnj on Aug 10, 2011 17:59:27 GMT -5
Annette - thanks for the tip! Before I made my desperate call to England I checked the Lotus website that showed it's available at Wegmans - so off I went,. But I only checked the international food section. Went back today to the peanut butter aisle. I waited patiently while 2 people cleared their carts away and there it was. Of course I had to do a comparison taste test once I got home. It's the same! Thanks again. An exalt to you! |
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Post by Happygoin on Aug 10, 2011 19:21:48 GMT -5
Crisis averted, Janet |
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Post by geordy on Sept 18, 2011 19:24:15 GMT -5
I got a jar of the Lotus brand...unfortunately it is a glass jar not plastic..like most peanut butter and nutella spreads these days..more weight! Just re read the thread so glad I went with the supermarket Lotus brand...there was a more expensive variety in the window of a shop on Rue St Antoine..maybe the one Sunshine thought was Blegh!  Can't wait to try...but will because I'm still stuffed....... |
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Post by PariS on Oct 10, 2011 18:14:53 GMT -5
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Post by jo on Oct 10, 2011 18:40:14 GMT -5
I discovered Speculoos spread this week ~ OMG, I was spreading it on croissants and eating it out of the jar with a spoon! I'll have to see if we can find it the next time we go across to Massena, NY.
Jo
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hehe
hahahha