Speculoos Parfait with Cherries in mulled cherry wine

A spiced biscuit or a Dutch windmill cookie it is called in other countries. The cookie has pictures of old motives from the Dutch imprinted on the upper side. Here in Germany they are found around Christmas time, sometimes as a butter cookies or as spiced cookies with almond slices in.
They are nice with a cup of coffee or tea. In Belgium or in the Netherlands they are eaten all year round.

When the Speculoos packages start to pop up here in the supermarkets as early as September now, you get the first warning that Christmas time is "around the corner". I usually wait until November to buy the first one.

It is a good alternative to use the cookies  crumbled instead of others for pie crusts or in other desserts. The spices makes them standing out.

recipe for 6:
10 speculoos cookies
50 g icing sugar
1 egg
400 g double cream
90 g soft caramel toffees
1 tbsp mince meat
1 pinch of salt

300 ml mulled cherry wine
150 g drained cherries
2 tsp corn starch in water

Separate the egg.
Beat the yolk with the icing sugar until creamy.
Beat the egg white with the salt until stiff.
Chop the toffees and melt them over low heat in 80g of double cream.

Crush 8 cookies to crumbs.
Mix the with the melted toffees.

Beat the double cream to soft peaks.

Bring everything together and freeze minimum 6 hours.
Crumble the rest of the cookies on top when serving.
Heat the wine and reduce it a bit to get the alcohol out, get the cherries in and thicken with starch.