General Discussion Thread

[dmeck7755]

They've been investing in and expanding international locations in recent years, including a new production facility in the USA and more and better distribution centres in a whole lot of countries.


I know someone who works for Lotus Bakeries and has had to travel to various international locations, which is why I know all this stuff.

I hope they keep the same recipe if they do bake in the US.  Brown Sugar in the US is very different from the Brown Sugar in Europe and it will change the taste...Unless they add the expense of using European brown sugar.

Does your Lotus contact give you samples ?? (that would be very awesome)

[lumilaulu]

I hope they keep the same recipe if they do bake in the US.  Brown Sugar in the US is very different from the Brown Sugar in Europe and it will change the taste...Unless they add the expense of using European brown sugar.

I'm sure they've done extensive testing to get the exact same taste. I know they do that for new flour deliveries, as the flavour and baking properties can differ from year to year because of the weather.

Does your Lotus contact give you samples ?? (that would be very awesome)

Employees can buy at a reduced price compared to shop prices. I texted to ask about getting some filled speculoos cookies after my last post.
My contact retires next year, though, so the future is uncertain.

[Lenny]

Yeah, there's a pretty big taste difference between speculoos and speculaas, haha. I'm firmly in the speculaas camp. Speculoos is okay, but I see it as the inferior version for my tastebuds.

There's also gevulde speculaas! Though that might be very difficult to find outside of BENELUX (and maybe Germany?). It's a layer of soft speculaas, a layer of almond spice, and a layer of soft speculaas. Not a cookie, more like a slice. If you have the spice mix it's a pretty easy recipe to make, though!

In Tas there was always a Dutch section of the grocery store, I presume because there was and is a fairly large Dutch immigrant community (mostly second and third gen now, though, first gen is aging out). They always had speculaas, though never the gevulde speculaas.

[JoB]

There's also gevulde speculaas! Though that might be very difficult to find outside of BENELUX (and maybe Germany?).

I live rather close to the Netherlands, as far as Germany goes, and actually worked in Luxembourg, but I assure you that unless you say (and mean) "Spekulatius", few people here will have the faintest idea what you're even talking about.

a layer of almond spice

... though the variant with almond slices added in is not unheard of.

[dmeck7755]

I live rather close to the Netherlands, as far as Germany goes, and actually worked in Luxembourg, but I assure you that unless you say (and mean) "Spekulatius", few people here will have the faintest idea what you're even talking about.
... though the variant with almond slices added in is not unheard of.

Oh so much YUM!

[Lenny]

Haha, maybe it's only a BE/NE thing then!

It's this:


If you like speculaas and you like almond spice or marzipan, this stuff is amazing.

[Róisín]

Lenny, that looks delicious! What exactly is in it, do you know?

[dmeck7755]

Haha, maybe it's only a BE/NE thing then!

It's this:


If you like speculaas and you like almond spice or marzipan, this stuff is amazing.

Lenny,
Those look absolutely amazing!!.  I have to find some...

[Róisín]

Here we have weather, with heavy rain, thunderstorms, dangerous wind warnings with trees down all over the place and lots of road weather alerts, and many car accidents caused by the aforesaid weather and trees falling. I will be surprised if the power stays on tonight, and my firewood is running low, though I have managed to scavenge enough for the next couple of days! My local area has a flood warning though if my place actually floods the main street will be right under water. Lots of flooding-and-salvage alerts in the local area, but our place is just soggy at present, rather than actually under water. Rain is expected to continue and increase over the next few days. Could be worse. The east coast looks to be really in for it.

Good luck to everyone there!

My neighbour whose place is in more trouble than mine is not here - he went to visit his kin in California to introduce them to their new grandkids. They are having more trouble with wildfires. Hope his house is okay when he gets home. (Several expletives deleted) climate disruption!

[Yastreb]

Melbourne looks to be getting off lightly, with some mildly heavy rain over the next three days, but no thunderstorms or anything like that. Sydney also seems to be in the clear for the near future.
I wish you well, Róisín. I think I speak for everyone else.

[Róisín]

Thanks mate! I’m more worried about Star than I am about myself - I have a lot more experience than he does of surviving disasters, and am in better shape if we have to evacuate. I just hope Dave and True and the kids will still have a farm to come back to when they get back from California. You probably remember them from times you have been visiting me while I have been doing the Market? Nice folk, and it is their place that is flooding worse than mine. Well, we cope with what we have.

[thorny]

Good luck to all of you, and to everyone dealing with various climate disasters and problems.

[wavewright62]

  Too little water, too much water... my condolences, Aus seems to be really copping it lately.

[Róisín]

To quote Dorothea MacKellar, “Droughts and flooding rains” is pretty standard for Australia. We cope. Not much alternative.

[Lenny]

Lenny, that looks delicious! What exactly is in it, do you know?

The almond spice is usually made out of ground almonds (far rougher than the kind used for cake decorating marzipan!), icing/powdered sugar, some lemon juice, and egg.

I've forgotten exactly what the dough consists of, but it's the same spices as speculaas, with a fluffier dough, and of course almond slices to top it with.

The next time I make it I'll have to post the recipe in the recipe thread! I know it's possible to find all the necessary ingredients in Australia, we used to make it fairly regularly when I was growing up.