BENGALURU : It wasn’t until recently that home baker Seema Punjabi’s social media feed started throwing up pictures of Lotus Biscoff. This caramelised biscuit, created by Belgian baker Jan Boone Sr in 1932, seems to be enjoying its moment of glory as netizens go gaga over a new viral trend. Inspired by the internet’s love for this age-old coffee companion, Punjabi too decided to try her hands on baking something with it. “And now, there is no going back. My clients and I are hooked,” she says.
Out of many recipes of the biscoff, Punjabi says the Biscoff Doughnuts, Biscoff Papa Roti Buns (butter coffee buns with biscoff spread and crumbs), Choc Chunk Biscoff Cookies and the Biscoff No Bake Cheesecake are a big hit. “The demand started during the lockdown about two months ago. Sourcing it, however, is a little challenging as it’s not available easily. But the taste is unique and goes perfectly with coffee. It’s a deep caramel spiced biscuit, which is not too sweet. The demand has made me stock up for a few months on the biscuit and the spread,” says Punjabi, who adds that the product can be bought on
Amazon or in gourmet stores.
Other home bakers too seem to be jumping on board. Zuhair Masood Sait, who started the Go Bananans home bakery with his mother and sister, is also hooked to the trend. “At first, I just wanted to be a part of the new trend but it paid off well. We have done more than 100 deliveries of biscoff desserts and we still have not got a single complain,”says Sait.
Popularly known for its caramelised taste and mostly recommended with black coffee, biscoff’s name is derived from ‘bis’ for biscuit and ‘coff’ for coffee. This coffee companion also earned popularity for being the perfect snack during flights. But certain bakers like Tanupriya Gupta, who were aware of the taste, were initially amused about its sudden fame. “I came across it long ago, when my friends in the US used to flaunt it. When I tried it, I felt like I have tried biscuits with similar taste in Indian brands too. But the spread is something unique and once you start turning it into a dessert, it tastes unique,” says the techie-turned-baker, who had got four orders of Biscoff Cheesecake from a single family in August. “That’s how obsessed people are with it!” she says with a laugh.
Try it out
Biscoff Cheesecake
Base Ingredients
150 gm Lotus Biscoff or any digestive biscuits.
2 tbsp castor sugar
30 gm unsalted melted butter
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Line a 50-inch spring form pan with butter.
Pulse the biscuits, butter and sugar so that the mixture holds its shape when held in the fist.
Spread the mixture evenly in the pan, and press with the back of a spoon.
Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Filling Ingredients
450 gm cream cheese,
30 gm hung curd, 100 gm sugar,
1 tbsp flour, 2 tbsp milk, Vanilla essence, 2 tsp lemon juice (optional)
Method
Beat creamcheese, hung curd and sugar for 2 minutes.
Mix in flour, and add milk and vanilla. Do no beat too much.
Add lemon juice and mix.
Baking instructions
Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool. Cover the base with aluminum foil.
Pour the filling and tap a bit.
Place the pan in a bigger pan and put it into the preheated oven. Fill the bigger pan halfway with boiling water.
Bake for 50 minutes at 170°C.
Take it out of the oven and let it cool. It tastes best when rested overnight.
Spread Lotus Biscoff spread on top when you are ready to serve. Sprinkle crushed biscoff for extra crunch.
Recipes courtesy: Tanupriya Gupta, owner, Morsel of Memories
Biscoff brownies
Ingredients
80 gm dark chocolate
60 gm butter
75 gm sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 egg
1-2 packs biscoff
Biscoff spread
Method
In a bowl melt chocolate and butter. Let it cool slightly.
Mix sugar, cocoa powder and egg.
Do not whisk too much. Add flour and biscoff chunks. Fold in the batter.
Spread in a 6-inch square tin lined with baking paper.
Drop dollops of biscoff spread intermittently and make swirls with a toothpick.
Bake in a preheated oven at 170°C for 20-25 minutes.
Take it out and let it cool completely. Slice and serve.