Elevate Your Base with This Speculaas Shortcrust Pastry Recipe
This speculaas shortcrust pastry is a simple yet powerful twist on your standard tart base. By enriching your shortcrust with a custom speculaas spice blend – full of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and cardamom -you create a deeply aromatic dough that complements bold fillings like caramel, roasted nuts, or root vegetables.
Start with my proven shortcrust pastry recipe, and simply add 5 g of the speculaas spice mix per 250 g of flour. The result is a spiced, fragrant crust with more warmth, complexity, and a distinctly seasonal profile.
This pastry is ideal for structured modern desserts where the base plays a flavour role, not just a structural one. It’s especially effective in flavour pairings that benefit from warm spice.
Whether you’re working with caramel, poached pears, roasted pumpkin, or spiced ganaches, this speculaas shortcrust pastry gives you an edge – literally and flavour-wise.
Applying Egg Wash for a Polished Tart Finish
About 15 minutes into baking, once the tart dough has set and contracted slightly – enough that it no longer clings to the tart ring – remove the shell from the oven. At this stage, brush the inside and the outside of the pastry with a thin layer of egg wash made from 18 g egg yolk (about 1 large yolk) mixed with 20 g heavy cream. This seals the surface, prevents sogginess from fillings, and gives the shell a glossy, golden finish. Return the tart shell to the oven and bake for an additional 10–15 minutes, or until fully baked and evenly coloured.
Speculaas Spice Mix
Ingredients
- 48 g Cinnamon 8 tbsp
- 14 g Nutmeg 2 tbsp
- 12 g Cloves 2 tbsp
- 6 g Ginger 1 tbsp
- 2.5 g Cardamom ½ tbsp
- 4 g Mace 2 tsp
- 2 g White Pepper 1 tsp
- 2 g Black Pepper 1 tsp
Instructions
- Combine all spices in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Store in an airtight container away from heat and moisture.
Best Tart Ring for Your Tart Shell – Testing and Comparison
In this video, I compare and test different tart rings to show how each one performs when working with tart shells. You’ll see how various designs behave during baking, how they affect shape, and how cleanly they release after baking. This helps you understand whether upgrading your equipment actually improves your results or if your current setup is already sufficient. Watch the full breakdown here:
For a fast and reliable shortcrust foundation used in this tart, follow the full method here: https://andbonbons.com/shortcrust-pastry-recipe/ If you want to expand into other flavour variations, there are several directions that can match different tart concepts:
- A deeper hazelnut variation that intensifies nut flavour across the base – https://andbonbons.com/hazelnut-shortcrust-pastry/
- A chocolate shortcrust with rich cocoa depth, ideal for creamy or fruit-based fillings – https://andbonbons.com/chocolate-shortcrust-pastry-recipe/
- A speculaas shortcrust with warm spice notes like cinnamon and clove for a more aromatic profile – https://andbonbons.com/speculaas-shortcrust-pastry/
For a full range of modern tart ideas and flavour combinations, explore here: https://andbonbons.com/category/tart-recipes/
Expanding Beyond Cakes – Chocolate and Confectionery Basics
Looking to expand your sweet treat creations beyond cakes, explore the chocolate and confectionery basics here: https://andbonbons.com/category/confectionery/ This section covers essential techniques and building blocks that let you move beyond entremets into more playful, hand-held desserts. From layered chocolate bars to filled confections, you can apply the same principles of balance and texture on a smaller scale. It also opens the door to creating your own versions of classics like wagon wheels, Snickers-style bars, gianduja-based treats, and other structured chocolate confections with professional-level control and consistency.
Craving more behind-the-scenes moments, step-by-step videos, and sneak peeks of upcoming recipes? Join me on Instagram @andbonbons for a closer look at the process, pastry tips, and plenty of chocolate inspiration.