The rich, luscious, gooey “caramel” of dulce de leche, married to a salted caramel walnut butter, and then graced with dark chocolate chunks – there’s nothing better than these crumbly, buttery cookies.
Dulce de leche, also known as caramelized milk, milk candy, or “milk jam” in English, is a confection popular in Latin America prepared by slowly heating sugar and milk over a period of several hours.
I was first introduced to dulce de leche as a sweet toast spread at “Spanish Camp” on Lake Bemidji decades ago. This camp was all things “Spanish.” Completely immersive, upon arrival all of our English “contraband” was removed from our belongings and we spent the week engulfed, surrounded, and drowned in all things Spanish culture – this included food. And, simmered, boiled, sweetened condensed milk, formed into a caramelized custard spread on toast, created a bit of heaven on earth for this home-sick tween.
Then, a decade later, spending a bit of college time abroad, I was re-presented with the decadence of the dulce.
A surprise birthday cake arrived at my desk, layers of the sticky, caramelly sweet cream in between graham cracker and vanilla layers, eventually topped with graham crumbles warmed my heart at 19 years old, worlds away from my culture comfort and the familiarities of family.
Then enters walnut butter – or did it ever? I’ve always been a nut lover. You are what you eat, right?
Salt – salty. That’s me. Salted nut butter – OMG!
Just add some dark chocolate chunks – now we are in business.
Well, maybe not. Perhaps we’ve escaped the business world and transported to what some of us believe is heaven.
Dulce de Leche Salted Caramel Walnut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Dulce de Leche Salted Caramel Walnut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
10 Tbs. butter, room temperature (1 stick + 2 Tbs.)
11 oz. Wellnut Farms Salted Caramel Walnut Butter
14 oz. Dulce de Leche
1 1/2 – 2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
11-14 oz. dark chocolate chunks
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together the butter, walnut butter, dulce de leche, salt, vanilla, baking soda, and baking powder until smooth and creamy.
Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until well combined and somewhat thick.
Fold in the chocolate chunks.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop 1″ round balls onto lined baking sheets, evenly spaced – flatten for more traditional-looking cookies, or leave in mounds for “rough” looking cookies.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, until just beginning to brown around the edges.
Remove from oven and cool for 10-15 minutes before serving and savoring and rubbing your belly in utter exuberance.
