This recipe defies categorization. More of biscuit than a cookie and a fairly bland as well. A liberal sprinkling a coarse vanilla sugar adds texture along with a much needed kick of sweetness. Dulce de Leche Caramel is a thick milk caramel that is only faintly sweet. If you prefer to make your own caramel, a recipe is included below.
4 cups AP Flour
6 tbsp. Powdered Sugar
3/4 # Butter, chilled & cut in pieces
1/2 cup Water
Coarse Vanilla Sanding Sugar
2 jars Trader Joe’s Dulce de Leche Caramel
Put Flour & Sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Add Butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 20 seconds. With machine running, pour water in a slow steady stream. Process until dough just comes together, about 20 seconds. Form dough into 2 discs & wrap in plastic. Chill 1 hour.
Roll 1/4″ thick. Cut out shape & place on parchment – evenly spaced, ready to bake. Chill until firm before baking. Dampen the tops of cookie with milk or cream. Sprinkle with Coarse Vanilla Sugar.
Bake at 350 degrees until the cookies are a light golden color, about 13-15 minutes. Allow cookies to cool completely. Match up the cookies by size. Spread a generous amount of caramel onto the bottom of one cookie and top it with another. It is smart to serve these in small paper cups so the caramel doesn’t ooze out onto your serving plate.
Homemade Dulce de Leche Caramel (Traditional Method)
2 14 oz. Cans Sweetened Condensed Milk
Place milk in top of double boiler. Cover with tight fitting lid. Cook, stirring every 10-15 minutes until milk is thick and amber colored. About 5 hours. Remove from heat. Beat with wooden spoon to smooth. Transfer to clean bowl. Refrigerate overnight.
