It isn’t too often that I use ‘pre-made’ ingredients in the desserts we make, as I like making most everything from scratch. This dessert includes not one, but two ‘pre-made’ ingredients, Nutella and Biscoff cookies, both delightfully delicious on their own. Paired with an espresso mousse, this dessert becomes shamefully sublime and a top contender in the surreptitious world of guilty pleasures.
The saying ‘necessity is the mother of invention’ was more than apropos when putting this dessert together. Originally, I had always made this as a tart, but I wanted to summer-ize it while bearing the wrath of the latest heat wave. Using our little countertop oven with only a 1-2 degree jump in our kitchen temperature rather than kicking it up 10+ degrees with the ‘big oven’ made sense to me and everyone else in the house.
As wonderful as it is, Nutella can be messy to work with. When I saw fellow blogger Nagi at Recipe Tin Eats brilliant idea of freezing the Nutella into discs (she made filled pancakes), life in the kitchen became a little bit easier. The Nutella discs are perfect for this recipe, making it so much easier to work with.
Baking the Biscoff cookie crumble gives it a wonderfully rich flavor. If you haven’t tried Biscoff cookies (aka Speculoos), give them a try. Made in Europe since 1932 and served on Delta airline flights, they have a caramelized brown sugar flavor that is addicting. Fortunately, they are available in most grocery markets. We used a tablespoon measuring spoon to mold them, which is the amount used for each crumb layer. They bake quickly in a countertop oven, and break up easily when layering them into each dessert container.
The Espresso Mascarpone Filling adds the cream factor to the crunchiness of the Biscoff crumb and the velvety texture of the Nutella. The cream lightens the density of the mascarpone while still keeping it creamy. It whips up quickly and can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator.
The mascarpone and cream make this dessert luxurious and rich and the espresso enhances the chocolate and caramel flavors swirling around in your mouth. Each bite delivers layers of flavors that just keep on giving, with thoughts of ‘I can’t believe how good this is’.
| Servings |
| 6-8half pint servings |
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- 1 1/4cup (155 g) Biscoff cookiesfinely crushed *
- 2 - 3Tbs sugargranulated
- 1/4cup (40 g) toffee bitsoptional *
- 5Tbs (71 g) butterunsalted, melted
- 1cup (290 g) Nutellahazelnut spread w/ cocoa *
- 2Tbs espresso powdercrystals or instant *
- 1/4cup (60 ml) waterboiling
- 1 1/2cup (355 ml) heavy creamheavy whipping cream
- 8oz (227 g) mascarpone
- 1/2cup (65 g) confectioner's sugarsifted (powdered sugar)
- 8half pint canning jarsor serving dishes
- piping bag & regular tipoptional
- cocoa nibsoptional topping
- chocolate shavingsoptional topping
- Preheat oven * to 350 °F (177 °C). Line a cookie sheet Finely crush the Biscoff cookies in a mini food processor or by placing the cookies in a sealed plastic bag and crushing with a rolling pin. Place in a medium size bowl.
- Mix the cookie crumbs with the sugar and toffee bits (if using). Pour the melted butter over the crumb mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. Mixture should clump together slightly when pressed together.
- Line a baking sheet or countertop oven rack with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Scoop a level spoonful of the crumb mixture with a tablespoon size measuring spoon, pressing the mixture into the spoon to form a mound. Place the mounds on the prepared baking sheet, one-half inch (13 mm) apart.
- Place in the freezer for 10 minutes. Bake in a preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, just until slightly browned on the edges. Set aside to cool completely.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper. Using a pencil, draw circles 2 1/6 inches (55 mm) in diameter or 1/4 inch (6 mm) smaller than the inside of each serving dish. Leave 1/2 inch space between each circle. The circles should be visible from the opposite side. Invert the parchment, placing the drawn side facing down, so the Nutella does not come in contact with the pencil markings.
- Spread one tablespoon of the Nutella evenly within each drawn circle, keeping within the outer edge. You can use a little more Nutella, if desired, but they should not be more than 1/4 inch thick.
- Place in the freezer for 30-45 minutes. If making ahead, cover the discs with plastic wrap after they have hardened enough not to stick to the plastic wrap.
- Thoroughly dissolve the espresso powder/ crystals in the boiling water. Place in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to cool prior to using. Remove the mascarpone from the refrigerator 10-15 minutes before using to soften.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitter with the whisk attachment, beat the mascarpone on medium-low speed for 30 seconds. Add the cream and espresso mixture, beating on medium-low speed for 30-60 seconds, or until combined. Sift the confectioner's sugar over the mixture, beating on low speed just until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula and continue beating on on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, until thick and creamy with stiff peaks.
- Keep covered and refrigerated until ready to use. Pipe or scoop into a serving container, as needed.
- Chill serving containers/ jars * for 10-15 minutes prior to using. Scoop or pipe a thin, even layer (1/4"/ 8 mm) of the mousse onto the bottom of the container. Crush 1 mound/ tablespoon of the Biscoff crumble evenly over the mousse layer. Scoop or pipe another layer of mousse (1/2"/ 13 mm), then place a Nutella disc on top of the mousse, repeat with the crumble, mousse, Nutella disc, topping it off with a thin layer of the mousse.
- Sprinkle top with any remaining crumble. Chocolate shavings, cocoa nibs or toffee bits also are great toppers. Cover and keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Remove from the refrigerator 10-15 minutes prior to serving.
Biscoff cookies - graham crackers can be substituted
Toffee bits - do not use chocolate coated toffee/ toffee bits. Any toffee (preferably without nuts), broken into very small pieces (size of whole peppercorns), can be used.
Nutella - there are other brands that can be substituted
Espresso powder/ crystals - do not use coffee grounds, as they will not dissolve. We like the Espresso Powder from King Arthur Flour. Medaglia d'Oro Instant Espresso Coffee also works well and can be found in most supermarkets.
Jars - half-pint canning jars are perfect for this dessert. The lids keep the dessert air-tight when refrigerated.
Free standing molds - to make free standing desserts (without a serving container), we use food grade stiff plastic strips (usually acetate) from Chef Rubber plastic strips or Amazon acetate collars. Cut the length to create a cylinder 2 1/2 - 3" (70 -76 mm) in diameter. Form a cylinder by taping the edges together to create a cylinder 4" (102 mm) tall and 2 1/2 - 3" (70 -76 mm) in diameter. Cut away any excess length before taping. Layer as stated in the directions above and place in the freezer for 1-2 hours. Then gently remove the collar, place on a serving dish and refrigerate. Remove 15 minutes prior to serving.