dulce de leche

This year I decided that I would have a New Year's resolution that I could stick to. I thought about it for a while and eventually landed on baking. So with my trusty mixer and collection of pans, I set off on a 52 week baking adventure. It's been a fun journey and there have been some ups and downs, but we've finally arrived at week 52.

This week I had a bunch of bananas slowly rotting on my counter. Normally, I would turn this sort of thing into a loaf or two of banana bread. However, I wanted to end this series on a more spectacular note, and plain old banana bread just wouldn't cut it. So I brainstormed and came up with Banana Cupcakes with a Dulce de Leche filling and Chocolate Buttercream frosting. They came together quickly, and were a real treat to my sweet tooth. To get the recipe, read more

Looks like I'm not the only one who is crazy about dulce de leche. Julie has created this scrumptious chocolate soufflé filled with the creamy caramel goodness! Since I can't get enough DDL, I am definitely making this for the holidays. — The Stone Soup

My mother's birthday was last week, so I set out to make her the perfect birthday cake. I suggested a layer cake filled with dulce de leche and she delightfully obliged. When searching for a specific recipe, I couldn't find one that matched the cake in my mind, so naturally it ended up being my own creation. The end result was better than I could have imagined!

The melt in your mouth vanilla-almond cake layers were light and fluffy. The caramel colored dulce de leche filling was thick and rich. The buttery caramel frosting was smooth and creamy. The three parts came together perfectly to create a divine birthday cake that even impressed the pastry chef of the restaurant where we dined! To see the recipe, read more

Upon my early morning arrival the first time I visited Buenos Aires, I begged my sister to take me to a decent cafeteria, where I immediately ordered a cortado. Along with the espresso came a small but delicious sandwich cookie. My sister explained that this cookie, the "alpha whore," was as ubiquitous in South America as chocolate chip cookies are in the US. While the name made me laugh, the subtle butter taste highlighted with the creamy caramel filling made me hungry for more. However, you don't have to travel south of the equator to enjoy these delightful cookies. To whip up a batch — they make excellent gifts and pair nicely with coffee — read more

No one wants to grow up, but if it means Dulce de Leche Crispy Treats instead of regular old rice ones, then sign me up! — Bake or Break

Ever since I ripped the recipe out of Gourmet magazine back in April, I've been dying to make dulce de leche ice cream. Dulce de leche is a South American treat similar to a thick creamy version of caramel. I talked about making it for months and I finally made it this weekend!! It tastes super delicious alone (I had homemade dulce de leche ice cream for dinner 2 nights this week) or smashed between two chocolate covered graham crackers. I took the time to make the ice cream and dulce de leche, but Starbucks helped me out by making the chocolate covered graham crackers. Don't have time or an ice cream maker? Purchase dulce de leche ice cream and serve these as dessert after a Mexican inspired meal. For the recipe and my flipbook style pics, read more