Sometimes, the best gifts are the
unexpected ones. This story isn’t about an ‘unwanted’ present, but rather an
unexpected delight—a tiny pot of dulce de leche paste.
Dulce de leche looks a lot like
caramel, but unlike traditional caramel, which is made from butter and sugar,
dulce de leche is made with milk and sugar. This Latin American favourite has a
rich caramel colour and a deep, indulgent taste.
I received this little pot of joy
at Christmas because it’s well known that one of my favourite ice cream flavours
is dulce de leche. In fact, anything caramel—especially salted caramel—easily
tops triple chocolate or rum and raisin for me. But what could I do with this
tiny pot?
Most suggestions involve
drizzling it over cakes, but since my pot contained more of a spreadable paste,
I decided to incorporate it into a batch of homemade chocolate chip biscuits.
The result? A perfect combination of flavours that made these biscuits truly
special.
Chocolate
Chip Biscuits with Dulce de Leche
What you need
·
110g/4oz butter (softened)
·
50g/2oz golden caster sugar
·
½ tsp vanilla essence
·
25g chocolate chips
·
100g/4oz plain flour (sifted)
How to bake
1.
Preheat your oven to 190C (170C Fan) and line a
baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2.
Cream the butter with the sugar and vanilla until
light and fluffy.
3.
Stir in the chocolate chips and flour to form a
stiff paste.
4.
Drop dessertspoonfuls of the mixture onto the
prepared baking tray, spacing them well apart.
5.
Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until golden.
6.
Leave to cool for a couple of minutes before
transferring to a wire rack.
The combination of chocolate and
dulce de leche elevated these biscuits from ordinary to extraordinary. The
caramel-like richness blended beautifully with the chocolate, creating a treat
that felt truly indulgent.
So, if you ever receive—or treat
yourself to—a small pot of dulce de leche, don’t hesitate to get creative in
the kitchen. You might just discover a new favourite recipe!
And funnily enough, I’ve also
been gifted a pot of pistachio cream all the way from Sicily. That’s my next
challenge! Did I mention that pistachio is another favourite of mine?
