If you have been to South America, you will have noticed that this continent has a serious sweet tooth! One of the most popular South American desserts has to be dulce de leche which literally means ‘sweetness of milk’ in Spanish. This thick, caramel sauce is essentially the Nutella of South America and it is so popular that every 17th October, Argentineans celebrate International Dulce de Leche Day! Why not make your own with our two dulce de leche recipes and top 10 dulce de leche desserts?
The History of Dulce de Leche
There are many names for this silky, sweet sauce known as ‘manjar’ in Chile, ‘manjar blanco’ in Peru, ‘arequipe’ in Colombia and Venezuela and ‘dulce de leche’ in Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia and Uruguay. The origins of dulce de leche are also heavily debated.
Some Argentineans say that the creation of this dulce de leche was, in fact, a culinary fluke! The story goes that in 1829, a servant frantically left the house to warn the Federalist Caudillo, Juan Manuel de Rosas, that his enemy, Lavalle, was waiting for him on his estancia. However, the servant had forgotten that she had left a pan of milk and sugar bubbling away on the stove which had thickened and changed colour to make dulce de leche.
On the other hand, some believe that dulce de leche was eaten in Napoleon’s France which seems credible considering that dulce de leche is very similar to the French ‘confiture du lait’. Regardless of the origins- each country has made this sauce its own by using it in different cakes and dessert recipes.
Dulce de Leche Recipes
There are two main methods for making dulce de leche- the traditional method and the cheat’s method! The traditional method is less sweet and produces a dulce de leche with a runnier consistency.
Traditional Dulce de Leche Recipe
Ingredients:
- 350 grams of sugar
- 1 litre milk
- 1/2 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
- A few drops of vanilla essence (or extract/ seeds) if desired
Method:
For the traditional method, you will need to channel all your love and attention into your dulce de leche. Gently heat the sugar, milk, bicarbonate of soda and vanilla in a pan for two hours. Make sure that you remove the wooden spoon so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan! You’ll need to keep an eye on the pan so as to not let it boil over.
Let the milk evaporate little by little so that the mixture starts to change colour. Keep a watchful eye, especially during the last hour, as once the mixture has a custard-like consistency and caramel-coloured it’s ready to be taken off the heat. Leave the pan to cool down and voilà – your dulce de leche is ready! It will keep for up to two weeks in the fridge.
Easy Dulce de Leche Recipe
Ingredients:
- One tin of condensed milk (approx. 390g)
Method:
The second recipe is less of a hands-on approach and requires just one store-cupboard ingredient – a humble tin of condensed milk. Remove the label from your tin of condensed milk and place it in a large boiling pot. Fill the pot with water so that it is at least one inch above the rim of the tin. Place the lid on the pot and bring the water to a very gentle simmer on a medium heat.
Turn the heat down to as low as possible and leave it for three to three and a half hours. Do not allow all the water to evaporate as the tin will start to burn, so top up with water as necessary. Turn off the heat, remove the tin with some tongs and leave it to cool down completely before you open it.
There you have it- cheat’s dulce de leche! I love this recipe because I can always prep in advance and the unopened tin will keep for up to 12 months in the fridge. Perfect for dinner parties or a much-needed sugar rush!
Top Ten Dulce de Leche Desserts
Now, you may be wondering ‘what can I use my dulce de leche for?’ That’s if you haven’t already grabbed a spoon and eaten the dulce de leche on its own… Here are our 10 top desserts made with dulce de leche.
1. Alfajores
Alfajores are the most popular biscuits in Argentina, Uruguay Venezuela and Peru – although, you’ll find them in pretty much all Spanish-speaking countries. They’re made by sandwiching two thin and crunchy biscuits together with dulce de leche in the middle. The biscuits are then dunked in chocolate and/or decorated with desiccated coconut. In Argentina, alfajores are a popular mid-afternoon snack eaten with mate.
2. Dulce de leche mousse
Ingredients (6 portions):
- 450ml double/whipping cream
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tin of dulce de leche
- Dark chocolate, raspberries or desiccated coconut to decorate
This sweet and silky dulce de leche mousse recipe is a real crowd-pleasure and so simple to make. I like to prepare my tin of dulce de leche in advance. Then whisk around 450ml of cream along with the tin of dulce de leche with an electric whisk until it is nice and thick and fluffy. I then beat three eggs together in a separate bowl with an electric mixer until there are stiff meringue-like peaks. Fold the eggs into the bowl with the dulce de leche mixture. Spoon into six separate glass bowls and leave to chill in the fridge for at least an hour. You can now decorate your mousses, for example, with dark chocolate shavings, coconut or raspberries.
3. Postre chajá (Uruguayan peach layer cake)
This national dessert from Uruguay was named after the chajá bird (Southern screamer in English) after 1920s Uruguayan pastry chef, Orlando Castellano, decided to make a cake that would capture the beauty of this bird. Similar to an Eton Mess, Postre Chajá is made from layers of light, fluffy sponge, whipping cream and dulce de leche. The cake is then decorated with crushed meringue around the edges and peach slices are arranged on the top like a flan to resemble the bird’s beautiful feathers.
4. Chocotorta
Ingredients:
- Chocolate biscuits
- Brewed coffee
- Cream cheese
- Dulce de leche
- Cocoa powder
Chocotorta is the star of birthday celebrations in Argentina. This delicious marriage of coffee, chocolate, cream and dulce de leche is very easy to make and no-bake. The first step is to mix some dulce de leche and cream cheese together until the mixture is a light caramel colour. Then dip some chocolate biscuits in brewed coffee. Layer the biscuits to cover a glass dish and then cover with a layer of the dulce de leche mixture. Continue to fill the dish with alternate layers and finish with a dollop of the dulce de leche-cream cheese on top. Decorate with a dusting of cocoa powder and leave to chill.
5. Tarta cabsha
You’ll find tarts cabsha in most cake shops and cafés in Argentina. It’s a delightful afternoon treat with a cup of coffee. However, it’s also really easy to make. Combine some crushed biscuits with melted butter. Layer the biscuit mixture into the bottom of a glass dish and bake in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for around 20 minutes until golden brown. Then mix the dulce de leche with a cheeky dash of whisky and smooth the mixture to cover the whole biscuit base with a spatula. Break up the chocolate and place in a glass bowl. Gently heat the cream and pour the heated cream over the chocolate to melt it. Stir and pour the chocolate mixture over the layer of dulce de leche to cover the whole dish. Leave to chill in the fridge until the chocolate has set.
6. Fondu
This recipe is really good fun- especially if you have people coming round. Wash and chop up your favourite fruit (for example, pineapple, apples, mango, strawberries, banana) and place on a large serving dish. You can also add some sweet treats such as marshmallows, mini doughnuts and chunks of chocolate brownie if you’re feeling indulgent!
Place the dulce de leche in the middle and don’t forget to bring out some wooden skewers so that everyone can help themselves. For this recipe, I recommend that you make sure that your dulce de leche is of a runnier consistency so that it is fit for dipping, you can add cream if you want to thin it a bit.
7. Ice-cream with dulce de leche sauce
If you’ve got some leftover dulce de leche, it’s absolutely delicious drizzled over vanilla or chocolate ice-cream and served with a wafer. In Argentina, you will also find delicious dulce de leche ice-cream in heladerías. Ice-cream in Argentina is softer in texture and much more similar to the Italian gelato than American-style ice-cream. Be warned – one scoop is never enough!
8. Crêpes
Dulce de leche, banana and whipped cream is the perfect topping for crêpes (or panqueques in Spanish). These are a favourite in Chile and you’ll find them in many cafes for afternoon tea.
9. Poached pears and French toast
This brunch/ dessert recipe is my little twist on the French snack – confiture du lait on toast. Poach some peeled pears in a mixture of wine, orange juice and cinnamon sticks until they are nice and tender. Then take some left-over bread and soak it in a mixture of milk, beaten eggs and cinnamon. Fry the bread on a low to medium heat until it is golden-brown and crispy on the outside, yet soft on the inside. To serve-up, drizzle the slice of bread and the poached pear with some dulce de leche and serve with a dollop of creme fraîche.
10. Apple and dulce de leche crumble
Apple crumble is one of the ultimate comfort foods. But, this apple and dulce de leche crumble is a hug on a plate! Simply mix your diced apple with a generous dollop of dulce de leche in a bowl and bake in the oven on its own before adding your crumble topping. Once the topping is golden brown, serve your sweet and sticky crumble with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.
Dulce de Leche Wine Pairings
Pairing wine with something as sweet as dulce de leche means you need to pick a sweet wine. A dulce sparkling wine (demi-sec) is an ideal option, especially with some of the soft, mousse textures of dulce de leche desserts. But you can also try a late harvest Torrontés for some of the more caramelised desserts, or fortified Malbec or Tannat liquor with the chocolate-based dulce de leche desserts.
