I’d been doing so well.

After the Great Speculoos Poem of 2012, I kept my distance from the stuff. I couldn’t be trusted with it – I’d go into the kitchen to do some washing up only for my housemate to find me hunched over the jar, wild eyed like a fox caught in the act of tearing a bin open, and shovelling spoonfuls into my face. So I finished up the jar – this may or may not have included me dragging my fingers through the nooks and crannies to get the last bits – and vowed not to buy it again until I’d either gained willpower or lost about 3 stone.

And all was hunky dory. Or it was, until Steph, of Riverside Baking fame, told me it was on offer in Waitrose. You know what this girl loves? Biscuits and bargains. So how was I to turn down a biscuit-based bargain?

So of course I got it. But I’m making progress, guys! I actually managed to make something with it this time. Taking baby steps (and giant spoonfuls). Oh and the pancakes? They’re amazing. Absolutely, perfect-with-bacon, exactly-what-you-need-at-11am-on-a-Sunday, amazing.  I even took some spare ones to work on Monday to eat warm with bananas. I’m onto a winner.

If you’re similarly afflicted with speculoos addiction, check out this recipe for homemade biscuit spread. It is insane. 

Speculoos pancakes

Adapted from Rachel Cooks
Makes 12

Ingredients

1/3 cup speculoos (biscuit spread)
2 eggs
3 tbsp butter, melted
3 tbsp sugar
1 cup + 1 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup + 1 tbsp plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
Oil, butter, or Fry Light, to grease pan
4 rashers bacon, smoked or unsmoked

Method 

1) Preheat oven to around 60C and cover a baking tray with greaseproof paper – you’ll use it later to keep the pancakes warm.
2) Using an electric whisk, mix together the speculoos, eggs, melted butter and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder.
3) Add the milk and vanilla extract to the wet ingredients and mix with a hand whisk. Add flour mixture gradually.
4) Use butter, oil, or Fry Light to grease a non-stick pan over medium-low heat.
5) Pour 3/4 of a ladelful of batter into the pan. Flip only when bubbles have formed in the centre of the pancake. When golden brown on both sides, transfer to the baking tray and place on the centre shelf of the oven to keep warm. Repeat until all are cooked.
6) Leaving the pancakes in the oven, cut the bacon rashers lengthways and fry in the same pan until crisp. Remove pancakes from oven and serve.
Although the tradition is to stack pancakes, I personally prefer to roll the bacon pieces up in the pancakes and eat them like that. Perfect bacon to pancake ratio! To make a speculoos syrup, combine 1/4 cup Biscoff and 1/3 cup of maple syrup.