Speculoos Parfait

When you think of fall/autumn, is your first association weather related? Or else?
Do you imagine those beautiful colours in all shades of yellow, orange, red and brown, with low sunshine light coming through the leaves? Or, being a person who sees a glass half empty, with the first morning chills you start imagining rainy, dreary days without light?
Whether you are one or the other type of person, one thing fall will certainly bring to your mind are food related thoughts. We inevitably stop thinking about just quick salad for lunch or a cold, vegetable soup for dinner.
I, personally, start thinking about warm food. Literally warm, like soups and stews, or spice-warm desserts. It's my favourite thing about fall. Cinnamon and the rest of the company are welcomed with a big smile in this period, and they are not leaving soon, I assure you.
So I start with my favourite cookies... you've already met Speculoos cookies here, haven't you? And after you've met the cookies you couldn't resist preparing the Speculos spread as well, am I right? And now you can't wait to start all over again... cookies... spread... cookies... spread... And then at some point you decide there must be something else to do with those two, apart from dipping your cookie into the jar of speculoos spread.
If you took that small, pleasant effort of baking some cookies and turning one part of the batch into spread, then the next step is just a question of minutes. Mix, chill and serve.
If you got caught in a change-of-season-lazy moment, a quick trip to the store might solve the problem, too. I'll forgive you for using store-bought cookies and spread, but make sure you use some good stuff.
So a quick, spice warm, although refreshing dessert to cheer you up your boring weeknight or to end a pleasant dinner with friends, is served. Grab your spoon and enjoy.
In case you should really get caught in the speculoos wheel, I'd like to share this recipe for speculoos spice mix, it's good to have a jar ready and on hand once you decide to bake or just spice up a little your cup of hot chocolate.

Speculoos spice mix (by belgian pastry chef, Eddy van Damme)

* 30 g ground cinnamon
* 7,5 g ground ginger
* 7,5 g ground cardamom seeds
* 6 g ground cloves
* 4 g ground white pepper

Just mix everything and store in an airthight glass container.

Speculoos Parfait
(for 2 servings)

* 5-6 speculoos cookies
* 100+20 ml whipping cream (30-35% mf)
* 100 g mascarpone
* 100 g + 2 TBspoons speculoos spread
* 1 TBspoon powdered sugar

Grind or crumble the speculoos cookies and divide between two dessert glasses or bowls simply putting them on the bottom.
Put a tablespoon of speculoos spread over the cookies.
Whip 100 g of cream with powdered sugar.
In another mixing bowl, mix the mascarpone cheese with the remaining 20 g of cream and 100 g of speculoos spread.
Add the whipped cream to the mascarpone mixture and mix well on low speed.
Distribute the thus prepared cream over the cookies and speculoos spread.
Chill the parfaits for 3-4 hours in the fridge or 1/2 to 1 hour in the freezer before serving.
You may additionally decorate the parfaits with some whipped cream and speculoos cookies.

Speculoos Parfait
(per 2 persone)

* 5-6 biscotti speculoos
* 100+20 ml panna fresca (30-35% di grassi)
* 100 g mascarpone
* 100 g + 2 cucchiai di crema di speculoos
* 1 cucchiaio di zucchero a velo

Sbriciolate o tritate i biscotti. Distribuiteli sul fondo di due bicchieri o coppette da dessert. 
Mettete un cucchiaio di crema di speculoos sopra i biscotti.
Montate 100 g di panna con lo zucchero a velo.
Mescolate il resto della pana (20 g) con il mascarpone e i 100 g di crema di speculoos.
Unite la panna montata alla crema di mascarpone mescolando con lo sbattitore a bassa velocità.
Dividete la crema tra i due bicchieri e mettete in frigo a rassodare per circa 3-4 ore o 1/2 ora /1ora nel freezer prima di servirlo.
Volendo decorate i parfait con altra panna montata e qualche biscotto.

Speculoos Parfait
(za 2 osobe)

* 5-6 speculoos keksa
* 100+20 ml svježeg slatkog vrhnja za šlag (30-35% mm)
* 100 g mascarponea
* 100 g + 2 žlice speculoos namaza
* 1 žlica šećera u prahu

Sameljite kekse i stavite ih na dno dvije čaše ili zdjelice.
Preko keksa stavite po jednu žlicu speculoos namaza.
Umutite 100 g slatkog vrhnja u šlag s dodatkom šećera u prahu.
Također mikserom izmiješajte u drugoj zdjeli mascarpone s 20 ml slatkog vrhnja i preostalim speculoos namazom (100 g).
Dodajte umućeno slatko vrhnje i nježno izmiješajte ručno ili mikserom na najmanjoj brzini.
Rasporedite pripremljenu kremu u čaše preko keksa i stavite u hladnjak na 3-4 sata ili 1/2 do 1 sat u zamrzivaču i poslužite.
Po želji ukrasite umućenim slatkim vrhnjem i keksićima.