Speculaas Spread Struesel Slice

"S4": Speculaas Spread Struesel Slice!

INGREDIENTS

Base

• 110g unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• heaping 1/3 cup Speculaas Spread (see Notes for alternatives)
• 3/4 cup plain flour
• pinch salt, optional and to taste 

 Streusel Topping

• 55g unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup whole rolled oats (not quick-cook or instant) (see Method for regulating moisture)
  
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbs caster sugar
• 2 tbs plain flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon, or more to taste
• 2 tbs Speculaas Spread (or other spread as used), melted for final drizzle after baking
  

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Line a 20cm x 30cm slice pan with aluminium foil, spray with cooking spray, and set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter for the base. Allow th ebutter to cool a bit, so that you don't scramble the egg - then add the egg, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and whisk or stir till smooth. Do get onto it promptly, I'm serious about the egg. Then add the Speculaas Spread (or other spread as used), and stir to incorporate. Add the flour, salt if desired (totally optional), and stir until just combined - don't overmix the flour stage. Pour the batter you've made into the prepare pan, smooth it lightly on top with a spatula, and set the whole lot to one side - this is going to bake in one hit.
2. Prepare the Streusel Topping: in the same bowl you made the base mix (provided you scraped it down fairly cleanly), add all the ingredients except the Speculaas Spread for drizzling, and work the mixture with a spoon, a pastry cutter, or your hands, until small pebbles form. You want this mix to be more dry than wet - so if it's too wet, add a bit more rolled oats to soak up the moisture, mix again, and see where you end up. Once you're happy with the consistency, sprinkle the mix over the base layer - it may look like there's quite a lot, but it will reduce as the wet elements seep into the base a bit during cooking, leaving the crispy oaty bits on the top.
3. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the centre is set and not wobbly; and the edges are set and have pulled away slightly from the edge of the pan. It may be hard to determine how set the centre is, because it's hard to see what's going on under the streusel, so the edges are your best clue. If you must check, a toothpick or skewer coming out clean from the centre is the standard reliable test.
4. After you remove the slice from the oven, heat the 2tbs of Speculaas Spread in the microwave to melt, and immediately drizzle evenly over the top. I use a teaspoon to do this, drawing a thin, tight crosshatch over the entire slice, not neglecting the edges - but drizzle as you will. Allow the slice to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. They should be stored in a airtight container, not in the fridge, and should last about a week that way.
   

NOTES - 31 August and 14 September 2020

Okay, here's the reason this recipe exists in this collection:

 

This stuff comes up on special at Aldi regularly, and is made from those Dutch spiced cookies of the same name. It is possible to make this slice using generic "cookie spread", or even peanut butter (if your household doesn't have any allergy alerts), and the same quantities apply. But the lovely Dutch spices in this spread do lend themselves to this chewy-based, crunchy-topped slice.

My wife wanted this recipe on the roster, and with our stock of spread being reasonably replete, it seemed like a good idea. There's a reason the words "except the Speculaas spread for drizzling" is higlighted in the method above - on my first attempt, I missed that instruction, and included that ingredient in the streusel topping. I was at first unaware of my mistake, and of the need to get the topping reasonably dry, and so my first attempt at this slice ended up looking like this:

Don't do this: read the recipe carefully!

 

The streusel topping was all wrong, and the base was too hard, and on reflection I knew immediately what I'd done.

The second (and subsequent) attempts have been very satisfactory, and this is a low-key, sumptuous and spicy slice, probably best enjoyed with indulgent coffee or aromatic tea. With a single bake cycle, and the chance to use a single bowl, it's fairly simple, just keep an eye on the streusel balance of ingredients to make sure you get a good crumble on top.