Late, but I’ve finally arrived, and hopped on the bandwagon – Lotus Biscoff really is the girl she thinks she is.
Of course, I’d heard the reviews of the oh-so-popular Lotus Biscoff biscuit that warms the soul, but it wasn’t until I sat down with the Belgian royal family – not a word of a lie; you can read all about it here – and tried South African chef Reuben Riffel and Belgium’s Piet Huysentruyt’s koesister with Biscoff ice, that I really got into the deep caramelised flavour of the crisp and crunchy cookie.
“The story of Lotus Biscoff starts in 1932 in a local bakery in Lembeke, a Belgian town,” it says on the Lotus Biscoff website.
Jan Boone Snr is the baker behind the famous biscuit. He used only natural ingredients to make them back in 1932, and though it’s hard to break down the exact flavour profile, its warm spicy notes complement the deep caramelised flavour well – and make them the perfect treat to pair with a hot cup of coffee.
Boone named the biscuit Lotus, after the flower that symbolises purity, but it’s no coincidence the name Lotus Biscoff is a combination of ‘biscuit’ and ‘coffee’.
RECIPE: Lotus Biscoff Manhattan cheesecake
Though the flavours of the Lotus Biscoff have made their way around the world – with a spread and ice cream to die for – Lotus Bakeries is still based in its home town and family owned, with Jan Boone, the grandson of founder Jan Boone Snr, as the company’s CEO since 2011.
[Infoblock: According to the Lotus Biscoff site, every year, billions of Lotus Biscoff cookies are baked – around 6 or 7 billion – and savoured on all 7 continents.]
Copycat Vida Lotus Biscoff latte
Vida e caffè partnered with Lotus Biscoff earlier this year and introduced their Lotus Biscoff FrioShake.
The blended iced drink combines those two iconic flavours – biscuit and coffee – and topped with whipped cream and Lotus Biscoff crumble, it has just the right amount of caramelised flavour.
“Biscoff is more than just a biscuit in the same way as vida is more than just a coffee. Together we have partnered to develop unique, world-first coffee and Biscoff products that strengthen the fact that ‘Lotus Biscoff is coffee’s favourite companion,’” Darren Levy, CEO of vida e caffè, said at the time.
Now, they’ve introduced their caffeine-free Lotus Biscoff latte, which we’ve managed to figure out combines their white hot chocolate powder with Lotus Biscoff sauce, or in our recipe, spread.
1 tsp of Lotus Biscoff spread (the spread is easier to find – we managed to pick it up at our local Pick n Pay – but you can use the sauce too)
3 heaped tsp white hot chocolate powder
1 cup (250ml) milk
1 heaped tsp Lotus Biscoff crumb
Over low heat, place a saucepan on the stove top and add your Lotus Biscoff spread, white hot chocolate powder and milk. Turn the stove up to medium heat. Using a whisk, keep mixing as your mixture slowly reaches boiling point to ensure no chunks of Lotus Biscoff spread and hot chocolate powder are left floating about. Remove from the heat before it really begins to bubble, and pour it into a mug or cup.
Add a heaped teaspoon of Lotus Biscoff crumb (you can simply crush a biscuit over the top) to ensure you get that deep and rich caramelised flavour to warm you right up – body and soul!
RECIPE: No bake Lotus Biscoff cheesecake