DUTCH SPECULAAS MILK 50%

Warm winter chocolate based on a classic Dutch cookie

 

The original Dutch chocolate tradition is known for the art of blending premium cacao. Now enriched with the famous Dutch Speculaas cookie flavour, Dutch Basterd sugar and creamy Dutch milk.

For this typical winter taste profile we went back to each of the individual spices in the classic speculaasmix to discover its particular flavour role in the famous cookie. A new mix of 7 spices was found, and the recipe for speculaas spices was redesigned for this chocolate. The flavours of the spices are nicely integrated by grinding them together on stone with cacao for 90 hours. The chocolate is sweetened with traditional Dutch Basterd sugar which is normally used in Speculaas cookies. This enhances the caramel profile of the bar.

Awarded Silver at the Academy of Chocolate • 2024

---

TASTING NOTES

Warm yourselve this winter with the generous flavours of: chocolate, caramel, milk, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, kardemom, cloves, white pepper and koriander.

---

ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS

 

Heinde & Verre means “near and far”. The locally sourced Dutch cow milk and basterd sugar allows the cacao flavours to be fully appreciated.

THREE FARMER COOPERATIVES

The organic certified cacao in this blend is grown in agro forestry systems amongst other crops. Three single origins from The Dominican Republic, Peru and Bali bring excitement to the Dutch Original Blend.

Öko Caribe comes from 165 farmers nestled in the heart of the Duarte province in the Dominican Republic. This award winning cacao is famous for its consistent quality. The farmers receives continuously agricultural training. Öko Caribe provides micro-finance loans for its members when needed. The cacao is characterised by earthiness, coffee and red fruit.

The Peruvian cacao is grown by Norandino farmers from the Amazonas region. The farmer cooperative’s mission is to improve livelihoods and social and environmental responsibility for all their members. The cacao adds a pleasant impression of red fruit, firm cacao and herbs.

The Balinese cacao is grown by the 230 Kerta Semaya Samaniya Farmers (KSS) in the Jembrana region of the Island, famous for its volcanic fertile soils. In 2011, KSS managed to grow the first organic cacao in South-East Asia. The cacao is known for floral, mild chocolate and herbal notes.

 

SPECULAAS SPICE BLEND

The traditional Dutch Speculaas cookie derives its distinct flavour from seven spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, kardemom, cloves, white pepper and Koriander. Even though there a ready made speculaas spice blends available on the market for baking we went the extra mile to have a look at each of the individual spices in the classic speculaasmix to discover its particular flavour role in the famous cookie. In this way we created a balanced spice blend that pairs with cacao. By grinding the spices together with cacao for 90 hours on stone, the flavour becomes an integral part of the chocolate bar.

In our spice blend we use the renowned Cylon Cinnamon. It is referred to as “true cinnamon” and is native to Sri Lanka and southern parts of India. Cylon compared to Cassia cinnamon is more sweet and delicate in flavour and has a ultra low coumarin content (coumanrin can be toxic when consumed in large quantities).

The Belgian Speculoos is often being confused with the Dutch Speculaas. Even though the name bears some resemblance it is a very different product. Centuries ago, the seven spices for making Speculaas needed to be imported from all over the world making it a very luxurious and expensive affair. The Belgians invented a cheaper alternative made from Kandijstroop (burned sugar candy syrup) and some cinnamon, which they called Speculoos (the meaning of “loos” in Dutch language is “without”; in this particular case: without the expensive spices).

 

LOCAL DUTCH COW MILK

The Netherlands is famous for its cheese and butter because of a long dairy tradition. The Dutch sea climate and terroir gives Dutch milk its specific rich flavour and is a perfect match for chocolate. We use full-cream Dutch milk to provide for a rich experience and lovely melt.

TRADITIONAL DUTCH BASTERD SUGAR

For this bar we used a typical Dutch sugar called “basterdsuiker” which is officially recognised as local specialty by the European Union. Basterdsuiker is a mix of fine granulated crystal sugar, invert sugar and caramelised sugar syrup, all made from locally grown sugar beet in the Netherlands. This type of sugar has been made in The Netherlands since the beginning of the 17th century and is often used in iconic Dutch pastries.

 

Dutch Original Speculaas Milk 50%
INGREDIENTS: • Cacao and cacao butter 50% • Speculaas spice blend:   cylon cinnamon   ginger   nutmeg   kardemom   cloves   white pepper   Koriander • Dutch Cow Milk • Dutch Basterd Sugar • Sunflower Lecithine	INFO: • Allergens: milk • Organic cacao • Non GMO • Direct/ Transparent trade

 

EXCEPTIONAL CRAFT

Our goal is natural flavour excitement in every bar. What makes Heinde & Verre chocolate special:

• All natural, no artificial flavours, colourings and preservatives
• No alkalizing agents or other chemicals used. Result is a higher level of anti-oxidants remaining in the chocolate compared to standard industry chocolate
• Made from whole beans, not from semi-finished products
• Our signature in-house developped Split-Roast technique: a single origin cacao is divided into multiple batches that each receive a unique roast profile to increase and balance flavour complexity
• Slow food techniques, the art of slow grinding and aging