What can you make in 15 minutes with no oven, no culinary skills and no scales needed? Easy answer – Fifteens, a Northern Irish sweet treat, with this recipe featuring Biscoff cookies and homemade glacé cherries.
What Are Fifteens? A Northern Irish Classic.
Fifteens are a classic Northern Irish sweet treat! They originated in the six counties sometime in the 1950’s, when easy no bake recipes became increasingly popular. They are a combination of soft pillowy marshmallows, glacé cherries, and Digestive biscuits, held together with creamy sweet condensed milk. The ingredients are shaped together into a coconut covered log. After chilling in the refrigerator, the log is then sliced into slightly irregular rounds and served.
Fifteens grew in popularity as the years progressed for several reasons. You don’t need any scales—just count! You’ll need exactly 15 digestive biscuits, 15 glacé cherries, and 15 marshmallows. This super-simple counting system is why Fifteens have always attracted (and still attract) people who don’t bake often.
You also skip the oven completely. In Ireland and the UK, where energy efficiency has always been important, heating a whole oven for one small bake feels unnecessary to many.
Best of all, anyone can make them—even kids and total beginners—because no real cooking skills are needed, and the results are foolproof every time.
These little indulgent goodies are often referred to as a tray bake, but technically they’re not.
This recipe swaps the Digestives for Biscoff cookies, therefore creating a richer, caramel, spiced version of Fifteens.
What are Biscoff Cookies?
Lotus Bakeries, a Belgian company, manufactures Biscoff cookies. They created these biscuits specifically to pair perfectly with coffee — that’s why the name “Biscoff” combines the first syllables of “biscuit” and “coffee.”
They are crunchy, caramelized spiced biscuits commonly served as an airplane snack, packed in school lunches and used as a crumb for a cheesecake base.
I first discovered Biscoff cookies on a flight, but I actually met this style of cookie years earlier when I lived in Germany, where they are called Speculoos (or Speculaas).
Using Biscoff cookies in this recipe is an upgrade, as they provide a caramel, spice flavor and a crunchier texture to the Fifteens, something that Digestive biscuits do not offer.
What are Glacé Cherries?
Chefs (or home cooks) create glacé cherries by gently simmering fresh cherries in heavy sugar syrup until the cherries absorb the sugar. This process candies them, giving them a glossy, slightly wrinkled appearance, with a chewy texture, and intense sweetness. This process also helps preserve their shelf life.
They are often included in fruitcakes, Christmas puddings, and scones. They are also one of the main ingredients in no-bake Fifteens, giving the Fifteens a pop of color and flavor.
Scroll down for a recipe how to make them at home using maraschino cherries.
Ingredients for Biscoff Fifteens
- Biscoff cookies. Other suggestions are digestive biscuits (UK), graham crackers (U.S.), shortbread, pecan sandies, or any type of cookie / biscuit that provides flavor and can be broken into cookie crumbs.
- Marshmallows: typically mini pink and white marshmallows are used. I added in a few mini yellow ones and some white jumbo marshmallows (just because I had them.)
- Glacé cherries: can be hard to find in the U.S., so I have a recipe below how to make homemade glacé cherries. Glacé cherry substitutes include fresh cherries, maraschino cherries and even frozen (defrosted) cherries. These substitutions are not as authentic.
- Condensed milk.
- Coconut: shredded or flaked desiccated coconut.
How to Make Fifteens
Cut up the cherries and any large marshmallows into smaller pieces.
In a bowl crush up the biscuits (cookies) into course crumbs. It’s fine to have a few larger bits.
Add to the bowl the cherries and marshmallows.
Pour in half the can of condensed milk.
Mix thoroughly. Add more condensed milk, if needed.
Transfer the contents of the bowl onto a length of plastic wrap lined with coconut.
Cover the top with coconut.
Using the plastic wrap, form the ingredients into a log and wrap up tightly. Refrigerate overnight.
How to Make Homemade Glacé Cherries
All that is needed is a jar of maraschino cherries (drain the cherries and save the juice) and 8 oz / 200g of sugar.
Pour the juice into a pot and add the sugar. Bring to a boil.
Add the drained cherries and reduce the heat to a simmer.
Simmer and allow the liquid to reduce. This will take 20 – 30 minutes. The temperature of the liquid should be about 237°F/ 113°C.
The cherries will look wrinkly but still be tender. Place them on a wire rack to allow any sugar syrup to drain off. Discard the juice / syrup or use it for an ice cream topping!
Fresh cherries can also be used. Use water instead of juice and allow a longer cooking time.
A Tip From Me
Use hot scissors to cut marshmallows. Run them under hot water, then dry them and use immediately.
If you buy the Biscoff cookies with two wrapped in a package, crush them as much as you can in the package. This will give you a head start when making cookie crumbs.
Delicious Variations and Add Ins
This recipe lends itself to a variety of ingredients that can be added to give unique alternatives to this recipe. Remember this recipe already has a substitution with Biscoff cookies used instead of Digestive biscuits.
- Classic cherry version by adding in more cherries, different types of cherries and even a teaspoon (or two) of cherry liqueur added to the condensed milk.
- Chocolate version loaded with different types (dark, milk, white) and forms (mini chips, shavings, Flake) of chocolate. Add chocolate to the bowl along with the cherries and marshmallows.
- Nutty or vegan twists – add your favorite nuts (I recommend pistachios), and use vegan approved cookies, and coconut cream in place of condensed milk. Check the marshmallow ingredients as they are typically made with gelatin (animal product). Vegan marshmallows are available on Amazon.
How to Serve and Enjoy Biscoff Fifteens
My personal recommendation is with a cup of tea, but as Biscoff cookies were designed to be eaten with coffee, then a nice milky latte will also be a delicious pairing.
Fifteens are a wonderful addition to any Afternoon Tea, kid’s party, bake sale or potluck.
Got Questions?
I’ve got answers – hopefully!
Yes, you won’t be able to use Biscoff or the original Digestive biscuits, so choose a gluten free cookie of your choice. Substituting coconut cream instead of condensed milk will make Fifteens dairy free (but not vegan.)
I recommend going no longer than a week wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator, or a week at room temperature stored in an airtight container.
Northern Irish Fifteens Using Biscoff Cookies
Ingredients
- 15 Biscoff cookies
- 15 marshmallows
- 15 glacé cherries I used homemade glacé cherries.
- 7 oz condensed milk ½ can
- 2 tbsp shredded or flaked coconut
Instructions
- Cut up the cherries and any large marshmallows into smaller pieces.
- In a bowl crush up the biscuits (cookies) into course crumbs. It’s fine to have a few larger bits.
- Add to the bowl the cherries, marshmallows and condensed milk.
- Mix thoroughly. Add more condensed milk, if needed.
- Transfer the contents of the bowl onto a length of plastic wrap lined with coconut.
- Cover the top with coconut.
- Using the plastic wrap, form the ingredients into a log and wrap up tightly. Refrigerate preferably overnight.
Notes
- If using an assortment of marshmallows (jumbo, regular and mini size) use 110g of marshmallows.
- Homemade glacé cherries can be made from either maraschino or fresh cherries.
- The yield will differ depending on how thick the log is. I got 14 slices from my log
- Use hot scissors to cut marshmallows. Run them under hot water, dry them and use immediately.
- If you buy the Biscoff cookies with two wrapped in a package, crush them as much as you can in the package. This will give you a head start when making cookie crumbs.
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