Speculoos Crêpes, or Long live Belgium !!!!, and Goodbye (for a little while) with Dulce de Leche Icecream !



In France, as soon as January ends, we put away our Galettes des Rois (like here, or here), to  start making crêpes. Et oui, February marks the Chandeleur in the calendar, and the beginning of the crêpe season ! I wanted to share with you a more original recipe, than the Crêpes Suzette (that I have already made here!), crêpes with an egg and cheese, or crêpes with dulce de leche, typical Argentinian dessert! And, in my second home (i.e. Le Bon Marché stores, in the cookbook section, I found a book completely devoted to speculoos !!!! What is a speculoos biscuit? Well, it is a specialty of Belgium...a dry, sweet but spicy biscuit, that makes a heavenly match with your coffee..so much so that most Parisian cafés serve it together with the petit noir....


I always say jokingly but with all my respect and admiration for Belgium, it is one of the reasons why the Belges should never cease to exist !! But truly speaking, what a country !! Leaving aside its natural, historical and architectural beauty, they make the best chocolate in the world (remember my chocolate saga, in Brugges, here? ), hundreds of different types of beer, the frites, the moules-frites !!! ( mussels with French fries) and a Belgium called Hergé created Tintin, the comic strip character...and generations of Europeans (including my children) have grown up reading these stories...
I don't know if in your country you will be able to find speculoos, and speculoos cream (I'm sure we can order it on line) but according to the wise opinion of my daughter Camila, the world does not know what they lose if they don't have speculoos (and believe me this girl knows what she is talking about...)  The crêpes look darker than usual, due to the addition of the speculoos cream and speculoos biscuits dissolved in the milk!! Plus...Plus !!! Grand-Marnier AND orange zest...What? do you still have to think about it? You can serve them warm, "nature" (i.e.: with nothing else on them), with a dollop of "crème fraîche", or speculoos cream... In that last case, please, go to the gym for two hours ;D


And from a very "wintery" dessert, I pass on to icecream, my dulce de leche icecream, whose recipe you have here...but this time, I included some chopped meringues and strawberies...
I guess I made this dessert just because I was looking forward to my trip to Buenos Aires!!!
Yes, finally, I'm going back "home" to visit family and friends...to go back to my roots, to my people...to my "asados" (barbecues), my "mates", and my dulce de leche...



To talk for hours...days!!!  with my friends till my throat aches...can you believe I have already an agenda filled with RDV that would make Hillary Clinton pale with envy?? Friday: whole day with Alicia in Bella Vista....Saturday: Patricia, in Tigre....Monday: the other Patricia and Estela in Belgrano...Tuesday: the other Patricia in downtown BA....Wednesday probably...the other other Patricia in Pilar..(can you believe I have six friends called Patricia???) plus, Silvana... that is picking me up at Ezeiza airport...but then when Patricia learnt that Silvana was picking me up at the airport and so she was going to be the first person to see me, she got jealous and said: "then you are coming with me to the "chacra" (country estate) in Entre Rios !!! (which of course I love, because the "campo" and the horses are part of my blood and childhood...
And you know what? I feel delighted of all this "friend harassment" because it means that they love me and miss me as much as I love and miss them !!
I will surely post something, to let you know how I am getting along, to share my Buenos Aires with you..I will not cook though..my friends will do it (Hourray!!!) and I will go to restaurants....
I'll be back in Paris the last days on February, but I'll check on your work ;D because blogging and reading bloggers is an addiction, and because otherwise I would miss you too!!
Take care!!




For these Speculoos Crêpes, you will need:
(yields 15 crêpes)


*eggs, 3 *Speculoos cream, 1 big tbsp (if you can't get the Speculoos cream, add 10 extra speculoos biscuits to the milk) *brown sugar, 25gr *all purpose flour, 125gr *orange zest, 1 *butter (melted), 35gr *Grand marnier, 1tbsp *oil (sunflower), 25gr * Speculoos biscuits, 5 
*milk, 400gr

Put the eggs, sugar and the Speculoos cream in a bowl. Add gradually the flour, stirring well to avoid lumps. Add in the orange zest, melted butter, oil and Grand Marnier. Dissolve the Speculoos biscuits in the warm milk. Combine the milk with the rest of the batter, and refrigerate for one hour. Heat a non stick saute pan (here 18cm in diameter) Pour some oil on the frying pan and rinse it with some paper.Pour one ladle of the batter. Cook the crêpes medium heat. When the edges separate from the pan, flip the crêpe over, and cook the other side. How many minutes? It depends on thickness chosen. Check you have a nice golden color. Repeat the oiling process for each crêpe! 

Recipe adapted from the book: Original Speculoos-Editions Agnès Viénot


Comments

Unknown said…
You're going to have such an amazing time visiting "home"! And what a delicious recipe to start February off right !
I started laughing when I saw that first picture with the jar of speculoos spread in the background, I am quite familiar with that spread! In fact I bring some back with me every time I visit France. I too am an ardent fan of the speculoos! What a wonderful idea to blend them into the crêpes, if only I had any left I would make these for La Chandeleur (I guess I did not bring back enough!)

I hope you have a wonderful trip home.
Cherine said…
Those crepes look mouthwatering!!
Enjoy your vacation! Such a busy schedule you have :)
I love that Spéculoos spread! What a delicious looking ice cream. Happy Chandeleur!

Cheers,

Rosa
Miriam said…
Cristina, pásalo estupendamente en casa! Sé de unos amigos míos holandeses que adorarían estos crepes... en Holanda también tienen ese tipo de galletas. Y encuentro que la gastronomía belga es uno de esos tesoros de la humanidad que deberían ser más conocidos, porque efectivamente sus cervezas y chocolates son lo más!
Anonymous said…
¡Buen viaje! If you must leave us, at least you did on a high note--I am dying for that ice cream right now...
Anonymous said…
I've never tried the speculoos creme, but I love the flavour so much, that I get special speculoos shipped from belgium! THey are so much better than the ones you get here.
*kisses* HH
Gaby said…
Hi Cristina, just arrived from Argentina myself after enjoying a fantastic time.
You are not wrong to call it "home" I know more than anyone what you mean.
I tell you that your Dulce de Leche ice cream in the photo, makes my heart beat faster! Funnily enough that looking for a dulce de leche ice ream recipe is how I came across your lovely blog.
Have a safe journey, I am sure that you will enjoy the HEAT, the friends and asados as much as I did.
Lots of love, Gaby
Belen said…
cristina genial la idea. Me encanta esta crema las crepes tienen una pinta... cuando me recupere de la navidad :-),las hago. ¿Sabes para que he usado esta crema? para la "crema catalana" (o creme brulee)pero nunca habría pensado en crepes, tiene que estar super. Buen viaje y disfruta de tu gente.
Stella said…
Hey Cristina! Speculoos sounds absolutely wonderful and, frankly, so does Belgium. I want to go there. Now (smile)!
Ooh, and I hope you have a nice time with your friends, Cristina. Relaxation with the ones we love is so important. Yes...
p.s. Your daughter's name is Camila? Do you call her 'Cam'. I have a secret. My real name is Cam *wink*
Barbara said…
Oh, you're going to have the most wonderful time! Old friends are the best, aren't they? I don't see my best friend very often as she lives in Michigan, but it's always as though we've never been apart. And there's always the phone!

Dulce de leche ice cream would be a dream come true....between that and a wonderful caramel ice cream I saw yesterday, I'm going to be in heaven.
FOODalogue said…
Buen viaje...I, too, leave tomorrow for an annual reunion with friends in Puerto Rico so I know exactly how you feel.

Have a wonderful time!
Asha @ FSK said…
I love speculoos! It truly does add a touch of special to everything!! :))

Have a great trip Christina!!
Aldy said…
Cris, Como me rei con el tema de los nombres :)Sos terrible!!! Que bueno que vas para alla,Te mando un Besote y que la pases rrrre-bien, junto a tu familia y amigos! Y si, te toca colgar la espatula por un rato, no? Ayyy! cuantos asados te vas a comer...Que envidia :)

Los crepes con el dulce de leche estan para morirse, muy bueno.

Abrazos Amiga,

Aldy.
Anonymous said…
Shame I did not discover this post earlier ! My husband insisted on crêpes on Tuesday, as he'd heard on the radio that it was chandeleur day. Since I could not be bothered, I went to our favourite deep-frozen food store and discovered THEIRS were not bad at all. But to add my personal touch, I served them with home-made chocolate and hazelnut spread (want the recipe ? ;D)
YOUR idea sounds great and I'll try it some other time, maybe over the weekend, as my grandson LOVES speculoos. Your pictures are as beautiful as ever - a feast for the eye and an incitement for the greedy !

Y.K.W.
Mary Bergfeld said…
Cristina, your crepes look lovely and your schedule sounds packed with fun and absolutely exhausting. I'm new to your blog and have spent some time browsing through your earlier entries. I really like the food and recipes you feature here. I'll definitely be back. Have a wonderful holiday. Blessings...Mary
fromBAtoParis said…
@ Mary

Welcome to my blog !! You write an amazing one too!
Congrats!
Nancy said…
Christina your crepes look so delicious! I know those yummy biscuits and recently I saw the spread here too. I'll have to give this a try even if it costs the extra workout:)

Bon Voyage, y Que te la pases de maravilla! We'll all be waiting for a tour of your beautiful city :)
I hope you have a pleasant trip. This ice cream looks utterly divine. I KNOW it would be a new favorite so we will have to try it out!
Adelina said…
I wish you safe travel and yummy feasting Cristina!!! I will miss you!!!! Send my regards to all the Patricias. I love your crepes and wish I could find the ingredients here to try them. Sending you lots of besos.
Claudia said…
You make me want to take a food tour of the world and first stop - France? Or Belgium? Enjoy you time home! A well-earned break.
Paula said…
I`m going to prepare such ice cream too! It must be so delicoius with dulce de leche flavour..
Magic of Spice said…
I wish for you a glorious vacation...
Your crepes look truly delightful :)
Bey safe and enjoy :)
Roadtrek Girl said…
What a beautiful post to end with before your journey home. Safe travel and looking forward to your return !
Mardi Michels said…
Love speculoos. Love crepes. Love Belgium!
I love dulce de leche and this ice cream looks amazing! Wish I could get that spread locally! Fell in love with it from the liege waffle from the famous cart in NYC.
Lori Lynn said…
Thanks for teaching me about something I had never heard of Cristina! SPECULOOS, neat!

Bon Voyage, looking forward to seeing photos from your trip.
LL
q tengas un muy buen viaje!
y bienvenida cuando llegues!
Mussels, beer, chocolate, yeasted waffles, chocolate, yes, I understand LOL

Beautiful Cristina - but you don't know how to do it any other way, do you? :D
fromBAtoParis said…
@ Everybody

Thank you all of you, for all the good wishes!! You'll hear from me soon!
Madeleine said…
LOVE that Speculoos! It takes like teddy grams in spreadable form! If only it were widely available here in the States. :o(
tasteofbeirut said…
Haha! I love the bon marché and especially their little café outside with the loquat trees. I love the Belges, I think they make incredible food and know how to enjoy life. I love speculoos and what you did with them.
Anonymous said…
Espero que lo estas pasando bien. Acabo de regresar de mi reunion en Puerto Rico...Hasta pronto querida...
kate said…
i wish someone would send me some of this speculoos spread ive beem trying since it came out to get it and have failed each time.it makes me so sad.