Dulce de Leche Filled Chocolate Cups

Ingredients:

• 2 cups bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate chips, mixed
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• sea salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Pour sweetened condensed milk into shallow pie pan and place in a large baking pan.
3. Top condensed milk with a quick shake of sea salt.
4. Fill baking pan with water to the midway point of the pie pan.
5. Cover the pie pan tightly with tin foil and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
6. Allow to cool and whisk dulce de leche until smooth.
7. Store in airtight container until ready to use.

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1. Slowly melt first half of chocolate chips in microwave on medium heat for one minute, stir.
2. Microwave again on medium for 30 seconds, stir and repeat until chips have melted smoothly.
3. Drop a spoonful into the bottom of a mini muffin liner and pull up the sides with a spoon.
4. Allow filled tablespoon of dulce de leche into each chocolate cup.
5. Chill for additional half hour.
6. Melt second half of chocolate and spoon over cups.
7. Level by gently slapping tins into table.
8. Top with a light grind of sea salt.
9. Chill for one hour before serving.

Jack-o’-Lantern Spice Cookies Recipe

Grumpy jack-o’-lanterns know their time is very limited - they’re easily devoured in just a few quick bites. Gooey dulce de leche is sandwiched between wafer cookies laden with ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Aspic cutters, available at kitchen-supply stores, are used to carve the tiny facial features.

Makes 60 sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 1/2 cups store-bought dulce de leche

Directions:

1. In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Mix in egg, molasses, and honey. Reduce speed on low; add flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Divide dough in half; wrap in plastic. Chill 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. On a generously floured piece of parchment, roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Brush off excess flour and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Cut into 2-inch rounds. Using an aspic cutter set, cut two triangles, point side up, in half the cookies to make eyes. Use the half-moon cutter to make mouths. Transfer to prepared baking sheets, and freeze until firm, 15 minutes. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through and tapping down to flatten any bubbles, until crisp but not darkened, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool complelety.
4. Top each whole cookie with 1 teaspoon dulce de leche and a cut-out cookie.

Dulce de Leche Ice Cream Pie with Mocha Fudge Sauce

Start this a day ahead and freeze overnight. For the crust, blend crumbled vanilla wafer cookies in a processor until crumbs form.

8 servings

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2/3 cup vanilla wafer cookie crumbs (from about 32 cookies)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons boiling water
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

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• 2 pints caramel ice cream (such as dulce de leche)

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• 1/2 cup chilled whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons chopped pecans

Preparation:

Crust

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Blend pecans and sugar in processor until pecans are finely ground. Add cookie crumbs and cinnamon and process to combine. Add butter and blend until moist clumps form. Press crust onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch glass pie dish. Bake until crust is lightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Cool completely.

Sauce

1. Stir 2 tablespoons boiling water and coffee powder in small bowl until powder is dissolved. Whisk sugar and cocoa in heavy medium saucepan. Whisk in 1 cup cream, corn syrup, and coffee mixture. Add chocolate and butter. Bring to boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Cool 30 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
2. Soften 1 pint ice cream at room temperature 15 minutes. Spread evenly over bottom of crust. Drizzle 3 tablespoons sauce over ice cream. Freeze until sauce sets, about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, soften remaining 1 pint ice cream at room temperature 15 minutes. Spread evenly atop sauce. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons sauce. Freeze pie until frozen, at least 4 hours. DO AHEAD Sauce and pie can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate sauce. Keep pie frozen.
4. Rewarm mocha fudge sauce over low heat, stirring often. Whip 1/2 cup chilled cream, powdered sugar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in medium bowl until peaks form. Transfer to pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe rosettes of cream around top edge of pie. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Cut pie into wedges and serve with sauce.

Dulce de Leche Banana Shake

Recipe Courtesy of ConAgra

Dulce de Leche ice cream topping is blended with banana and low fat vanilla ice cream

Ingredients:

• 1 Reddi=whip Original Whipped Light Cream
• 1 Cup light vanilla ice cream
• 1 Medium banana sliced
• 1 Cup fat free milk
• 1 Cup dulce de leche ice cream topping

Directions:

1. Place ice cream, banana, milk and ice cream topping in blender container; cover. Blend on medium speed until smooth.
2. Pour into 2 glasses. Top each with a serving of Reddi-whip. Drizzle with additional ice cream topping, if desired. Serve immediately.

Yield: servings (1 cup and 2 tablespoons reddi-whip each)

Servings: 2 / Prep: 5 min / Cook: 5 min

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars

Yield: Makes 24

Dulce de Leche, a rich caramel sauce popular in Latin countries, flavors the filling and also serves as a soft glaze for the bars. A sprinkling of sea salt turns this dessert into a craveable salty-sweet treat.

Ingredients:

Crust:

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 2 1/4 cups finely ground graham crackers (from about 17 whole graham crackers)
• 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

• 3 8-ounce packages Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup purchased dulce de leche*
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze:

• 2/3 cup purchased dulce de leche
• 3 tablespoons (or more) heavy whipping cream
• Fleur de sel**

Preparation:

For Crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with nonstick spray. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon in medium bowl. Add melted butter; stir until coated. Transfer crumb mixture to pan. Press evenly onto bottom of pan. Bake until crust is light golden, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on rack.

For Filling:

Blend cream cheese and sugar in processor until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs 1 at a time, processing 3 to 5 seconds to blend between additions. Add dulce de leche and vanilla; process until blended, about 10 seconds. Spread batter evenly over cooled crust. Bake until just set in center and edges are puffed and slightly cracked, about 38 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely.

For Glaze:

Heat dulce de leche and 3 tablespoons cream in microwave-safe bowl in 10-second intervals until melted. Stir to blend, adding more cream by teaspoonfuls if too thick to pour (amount of cream needed will depend on brand of dulce de leche). Pour glaze over cooled cheesecake; spread evenly. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour (glaze will not be firm). DO AHEAD: can be made 2 days ahead. cover; chill.

Cut cheesecake lengthwise into 4 strips, then crosswise into 6 stips, forming 24 bars. Sprinkle bars with fleur de sel.

* A thick, sweet sauce made from caramelized sugar in milk or from sweetened condensed milk; available at some supermarkets and specialty foods stores and at latin markets.

** A type of sea salt; available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

Chocolate Dulce de Leche Bars

Yield: 24 bars/ Active Time: 30 min/ Total Time: 3 1/4 hr

Fudgy cookies go Latin with an infusion of dulce de leche, a sweet milk caramel similar to cajeta and arequipe. These cool treats are happily portable on their crisp shortbread crust.

Ingredients:

For shortbread crust:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

For chocolate dulce de leche:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup dulce de leche
• 4 large egg yolks
• 5 ounces 60%-cacao bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (preferably in a food processor)

Preparation:

Make shortbread crust:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degreesF with rack in middle. Butter a shallow 9- to 9 1/2-inch square baking pan (1 to 1 1/2 inches deep). Line bottom and 2 sides with parchment paper, leaving an overhang. Butter parchment.
2. Blend together butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a bowl with a fork. Sift in flour and blend with fork until a soft dough forms.
3. Spread dough evenly in baking pan using an offset spatula or back of a spoon, then prick all over with fork.
4. Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes, then cool completely in pan on a rack, about 30 minutes.

Make chocolate dulce de leche:

1. Bring cream and dulce de leche to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan, stirring with a wooden spoon until dulce de leche has dissolved.
2. Whisk together yolks in a bowl, then slowly whisk in hot cream mixture. Return to pan and cook over medium high, stirring constantly, until pan is visable in tracks of spoon and mixture registers 170 degreesF on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate until melted.

Make bars:

1. Pour chocolate mixture over cooled shortbread and chill, uncovered, until cold and set, about 2 hours.
2. Run a small knife around edges to loosen, then transfer to a cutting board using parchment. Cut with a hot clean knife (dip in hot water and wipe clean between cuts) into 24 bars. Chill until ready to serve.

Cooks’ Note: Chocolate dulce de leche bars can be chilled in an airtight container up to 1 day.