An Unexpected Gift: Turning Dulce de Leche into a Sweet Surprise

 

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?