Recipe
Banana, Nut & Speculoos Muffins
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Yield:

Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe that 2012 is now behind us and today is the first day of 2013!
Looking back, there are many great events that happened in 2012 – my first cookbook was published, a recipe was featured in Delicious magazine, visited Moscow, relaunched my food photography website, memorable wedding on the beach, our trip to Bali, my cookbook & an interview feature in Flavours magazine, cookbook signing at Waitrose, being one of the speakers at Food Blogger Connect, and took part in a cooking challenge! Wow! I have done quite a lot in 2012, all very memorable, rewarding and great experiences.
I hope this year will have much more exciting things lined up ahead. And of course, I want to be better – to make more delicious food with different types of catering equipment, take beautiful photos and write great blog posts and share with you all. I truly appreciate your support and readership all this while and I am glad to know some great people through blogging too!

Today, I have a very simple but sweet recipe to share. It uses one of my favourite ingredients – Speculoos spread. Speculoos is a kind of shortcrust biscuit that is very popular Netherlands and Belgium. The biscuit itself is really thin, crunchy and very flavourful as a result of using spices such as cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom and nutmeg. I didn’t know about Speculoos spread until a while ago and when I saw it, I grabbed it without hesitation!
Instead of incorporating Speculoos spread in the mixture, I decided to melt it and use it like a glaze – just another way of using one of my favourite spreads and I totally love it!
Banana, Nut & Speculoos Muffins
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Yield:
Ingredients:
For the Banana, Nut & Speculoos Muffins:
230g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
110g butter
100g sugar
2 eggs
2 bananas, mashed
80g pecan nuts
20g linseeds
Speculoos Glaze:
2 heaped tbsp speculoos spread
2-3 tbsp single cream
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line the muffin tin with muffin cases. In a bowl sieve the plain flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set it aside.
2. Beat the soft butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time and mix until smooth. Mix in the banana, pecan nuts and linseeds. Mix well. Lower down the mixer speed, slowly add in the flour mixture and blend just until smooth.
3. Scoop the batter into the muffin cases. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
4. To prepare the speculoos glaze, heat some water in a saucepan until simmering. Put the speculoos spread in a bowl slightly bigger than the saucepan, suspend the bowl over the simmering water and do not allow the base of the bowl touch the water. Heat the speculoos spread, stirring regularly until completely melted. Then, add the single cream and whisk to combine. Then, remove from the heat.
5. One the muffins are cooked, let cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing it. Drizzle over the speculoos glaze over the muffins before serving.
Lovely muffins and wonderful combination!
Cheers,
Rosa
Thank you Rosa!
Speculoos is one of my favorites. That glaze looks incredible! I bet all the flavors go together so well too.
It could be addictive too! 🙂
Happy New Year to you too!
Like how you applied the spread, lovely. Wish you having more great experience to come!
Happy New Year to you too!
they look awesome! wishing you a happy & delicious new year!~
Thanks! Happy New Year to you too!
Happy New Year Leemei! These muffins look so good. I first tried speculoos last year and I always have a jar in my pantry since then. Time to bake with it next! 🙂
Happy New year, Nami! I am so addicted to speculoos too! 🙂
Happy New Year! Such a yummy looking muffin! Love to grab it right now as I am so hungry*-)
Happy New Year to you too!
Muffin!!!! always good even with banana.
Happy new year!!!!
Happy New Year!
It was a fab year for you indeed!! Congrats and hope you all the best for the new year!
Thank you Anh!
Happy New Year Leemei ! Be 2013 as fulfilling as 2012 !
And sweet is always a good way to start a year 😉
Happy New Year!! I hope 2013 will be an even better year for everyone!
Congrats for all your achievements! May 2013 brings you even greater achievements! Love your muffins. I think I’m still relaxing after all the festive fun 😀 Hope to start baking again soon.
Thank you Mary! Hope 2013 a prosperous year to you too!
I have never used speculoos I my baking…and the combination of banana nut with it sounds and looks delicious…I must give this a try.
Have a great week Leemei!
You should give it a go, Juliana. Let me know how you like it. 🙂
Love the combination of banana and nut – not heard of speculoos though, but can see how it would work! I love my banana muffins (just plain ol’ muffins with plump raisins) with a dark wheat beer – the banana and clove notes in the beer really compliment the muffin. good work!
Sounds very interesting with dark wheat beer!
Oh my! I had some leftover speculoos cream after Christmas and I’ve been wondering for days what to do with it. To be honest, I’m getting sick of eating it with a big spoon 🙂 And then I clicked on your blog… and voila! The question is all sorted!! It sounds amazing, exactly something I had on mind. I will get back with the feedback! Thanks a lot, Leemei! 🙂
No worries! Let me know how it goes!