Where matcha used to reign in bakeries and cafes, there’s a new contender taking over the pastries and cakes. It is none other than the Lotus Biscoff cookie, the humble simple caramelised biscuit that may also take the form of spreads, sauces, crumbles, ice cream and more these days, graduating from its place on coffee saucers to topping decadent cheesecakes and being whipped into light as air mousses.
There’s no debate that the beloved biscuit is having a revival of late. In fact, even calling it just a biscuit doesn’t do it justice. If you can’t quite grasp the trending popularity of it just yet; perhaps this story of how it took over the world before it took over your favourite desserts might.
Baker Boone’s true craftsmanship
It all began in 1932, when Belgian baker Jan Boone Sr created a caramelised cookie with nothing but natural ingredients that perfectly paired with coffee. Some wheat flour, sugar, vegetable oil, candy sugar syrup, raising agent, soy flour, salt and cinnamon came together to present the crispy yet chewy caramel-tinged biscuit. Boone Sr settled on the name Lotus, after the flower that symbolised purity. It was an instant hit because tastewise, coffee and caramelised biscuits have complementary tastes, boosting each other flavours.
Birth of the Biscoff
It continued to be called Lotus until 1986 when, after spreading to neighbouring countries and all the way to Asia, the name Biscoff was finally coined, derived from the combination of biscuit and coffee. The perfect combination reflects the complementarity of tastes: it is as if the deep flavour of the coffee and unique taste and crunchiness of the Lotus Biscoff biscuit were made for each other.
The Biscoff Revolution
To meet consumer demands for more offerings with its iconic taste, Biscoff spun off from just a biscuit to offer sandwich biscuits, ice cream and a spread that can rival Nutella. Homecooks began incorporating them into their own renditions of milkshakes, cheesecakes, mousse and more. It blew up so quickly and easily, largely because it just pairs so well with everything with its light crunch and subtle sweetness that isn’t too overpowering.
Make your own Biscoff sweets
A quick scroll through the internet will unveil plenty of Biscoff cakes and bakes out there right now, but should you want to make some of your own, here are a few recipes for the home chef and bakers to knock yourselves out with.
Biscoff Cheesecake Dessert Cups
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Biscoff and White Chocolate Flapjacks
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Biscoff Brownies
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Biscoff Explosion Cookies
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No Bake Vegan Biscoff Cheesecake
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Biscoff Baked Oats
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