Move Over Nutella

For years, Nutella has been the chocolaty spread of choice the world over. Wherever you go, bread or toast with Nutella is a staple. Well, there are several new products that may change your habits.

Le Pain Quotidien is a worldwide bistro that I go to often. Their food is fresh, mostly organic and delicious. One of my reasons for dining there is their delicious hazelnut and chocolate spreads. I will sit there as soon as I arrive, with a spoon, eating this most delicious spread, until our food arrives. This stuff is addictive.

Then there's Biscoff, from Lotus Bakeries, which will make you extremely happy. In Belgium the product is called speculoos spread. It's made from 57% biscoff cookies, the rest is sugar and oil. The cookies themselves are quite delicious, and you can find them in the US in some supermarkets. Delta Airlines also served the cookies on their flights, but I don't know if they still do. They're thin little cookies made from brown sugar and spices. The spread is made by crushing the cookies and adding oil and sugar and other ingredients. It is creamy, sweet, smooth, and addictive. The only way I know that you can get it in America is to order it from Amazon or from the Biscoff (Lotus Bakery) website. If you don't want to do that, try to find the cookies. They are available, but you'll have to ask around. Below is a homemade recipe of Speculoos spread that comes close to replicating the real thing. Try it on toast or any bread, croissants, ice cream or use it as a dip for apples or pear. Nutella may be a thing of the past.

Homemade Speculoos Spread

3/4 cup Biscoff cookies (sold by Lotus) ground into a fine meal in food processor
1 T. vanilla sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp canola

Grind cookies into a fine meal, using the food processor. Melt the coconut fat and let it cool down until luke warm. Mix ground cookies with remaining ingredients and transfer to a bowl. Stir in the fat and oil. Mix until well blended. That's all there is to it. You can experiment by using other types of cookies, especially if you can't find the Biscoff. Try snickerdoodles, oreos or gingerbread snaps. You may create something even better.