Chocolate Dulce de Leche Squares

What’s better than Dulce de Leche Squares? Why, Chocolate Dulce de Leche Squares, of course!

This recipe is inspired by the traditional Argentine alfajor: a cookie sandwich filled with dulce de leche and dipped in chocolate for the ultimate decadence. Alfajores are the afterschool treat of many an Argentine kid, and varieties line the kioskos (corner markets) in tempting arrays. Some are dipped in white chocolate, others have jam, and the list goes on.

Making alfajores is a painstaking and fiddly process, so why not make it easier? This tray-bake offers all that is wonderful about the alfajor, but much easier. Chocolate Dulce de Leche Squares is a great way to make a batch of alfajores, cut to order!

A perfectly crumbly shortbread base

Argentines knock it out of the park with the crumbliest of shortbreads. Their secret is to use cornflour instead of flour in the shortbread base. Our version is a little more stable, so we use both cornflour (for crumbly) and flour (for stability). We also add a little orange zest to the shortbread and, while we’re at it, and orange liqueur instead of water. And if all that sounds delightfully sophisticated to you, then add a rosemary sprig to the Chocolate Dulce de Leche Squares just after you pour the chocolate (while it is setting.) It’s beautiful and adds the perfect aroma and adult sophistication to this kid-at-heart dessert.

Pack it up!

Chocolate Dulce de Leche Squares are a great packable picnic dessert. In fact, you can bring them to your kiddo’s next soccer game.  Who knows, maybe dulce de leche is the secret to great soccer!

The recipe below explains the “seeding method” to temper the chocolate layer on the top. If you’re enjoying this dessert at home, you can easily skip this step.

For other great picnic ideas, we’ve got just the recipes for you! Check out our pack-able Crostini with Tapenade, or check out our class called A Moveable Feast at a Hipcooks Studio near you!

Chocolate Dulce de Leche Squares

Print Recipe

 : serves many Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes 20 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

Serves many, using a quarter-sheet pan (9 by 13 inches.) If you don’t own a quarter-sheet, approximate with any similar-sized pan

1 cup flour
1 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon orange zest. Use a Microplane to get super-fine zest!
8 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs yolks
1 tablespoon orange liqueur, like Citronge or Cointreau
2 cups dulce de leche
8 ounces dark chocolate
rosemary sprig, if desired

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

For the shortbread
Mix together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Use a stand mixer or electric beaters to beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the yolks, brandy, and zest and mix until just combined. Sift in the flour mixture: you’ll have the perfect shortbread base. Press down the shortbread dough, and pop it into the oven until it is just catching a golden brown color, about 20 minutes. Allow it to cool and then add the dulce de leche on top. When finished, be sure to lick the spatula as your reward.

For the chocolate layer
Melt about ⅔ of the chocolate over a double boiler. Once melted, remove from the heat and allow the chocolate to cool to body temperature. (Test this by putting a teeny bit of chocolate on your lip — another reward — it should feel just warm, not hot.) “Seed” the chocolate with the remaining chocolate: adding it and allowing it to melt. Your chocolate is now in temper. When you pour it on top of the dulce de leche, it will cool and harden nicely, and be room-temperature stable. Add a rosemary sprig, Maldon salt, whatever you may fancy for the top.

Notes

Note: if you don’t mind about stability of the squares (because you’re not picnicking and can serve them straight from the fridge), skip the seeding step and melt all the chocolate with a tablespoon of grapeseed or other neutral oil. That will give the top a nice sheen.