Why this formula works
Cookie spread is never baked: direct pizza heat can split its fat and make it taste scorched. The plain butter-cinnamon base bakes crisp first, then 110 g warm spread forms a generous layer. Cold mascarpone cream and half the cookies go on immediately before serving so the image's tall center and crunch remain real.
Honest timing
| Active preparation | 20 min |
| Hydration / proof / preheat | 45 min |
| Cooking / baking | 9 min |
| Elapsed total | 1 h 14 min |
Ingredients
- mature room-temperature pizza dough ball240 g (8.5 oz)
- unsalted butter, melted15 g (0.53 oz)
- soft brown sugar15 g (0.53 oz)
- smooth speculoos cookie spread110 g (3.9 oz)
- crisp speculoos cookies, roughly crushed50 g (1.76 oz)
- cold heavy cream120 g (4.2 oz)
- cold mascarpone40 g (1.41 oz)
- powdered sugar12 g (0.42 oz)
- ground cinnamon1 g
- fine sea salt1 g
Equipment
- digital scale
- cold mixing bowl
- electric whisk
- pastry brush
- pizza peel
- baking steel or heavy inverted sheet
- cooling rack
Exact method
- 1. Preheat the selected surface according to the cold-finish dessert table. Stir brown sugar, cinnamon and salt together.
- 2. Whip cold cream, mascarpone and powdered sugar to medium peaks that hold a spooned mound. Refrigerate immediately.
- 3. Open dough to 28–30 cm, move to the peel and check sliding. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar inside the rim.
- 4. Bake the bare sweet base with the matching setup until the underside is brown and center crisp. Rotate once without letting loose sugar burn.
- 5. Rack-rest 3 minutes. Warm the sealed cookie-spread jar or measured bowl gently in warm water until spreadable, never hot.
- 6. Spread all 110 g cookie butter over the warm base, stopping 1 cm from the rim. Add half the crushed cookies.
- 7. Spoon or pipe the cold mascarpone cream in the center and scatter the remaining cookie pieces around it.
- 8. Cut immediately with a clean hot knife so cream remains distinct and cookie pieces stay crisp.
How to know it is ready
- Bare base is fully crisp before spread is added.
- Cookie butter is glossy but not oily or split.
- Cream holds a high central mound.
- Cookie pieces snap instead of absorbing steam.
Troubleshooting
- Oily spread: it was baked or overheated.
- Flat cream: bowl or ingredients were warm, or cream was underwhipped.
- Soft cookies: they were added while base was steaming.
- Overly sweet slice: portions were cut too large; this rich pizza is designed for six.
How to adapt the base recipe
- For an even stronger spice profile, add 0.5 g ground ginger to the cinnamon sugar.
- A different speculoos spread works if its allergen label is checked; do not assume every brand matches.
- For a lower cream mound, spread the mascarpone cream in six small quenelles instead.
Storage and food safety
Refrigerate within 2 hours and keep up to 2 days, but cookies soften. For advance work, store baked base, spread, cream and crumbs separately and assemble immediately before serving.
Allergens
Gluten (wheat), Milk, Soy
Always verify every label and cross-contact risk; brand formulations can change.