There is something magical about chocolate mousse, and when you add dulce de leche or caramel, you bring your senses to the next level of divine sweetness.
Dulce de leche or caramel is very easy to make. You have to pay close attention that it does not burn or will take the burnt flavor and will not be pleasant.
This is an adaptation of one of my favorite cookbooks, Barbara Pool Fenzl’s Seasonal Southwest Cooking.
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Her book uses store-bought dulce de leche, and I decided to make it homemade.
As I was standing by the stove stirring, it brought back some fond memories of my youth in Paris.
My dad had an extreme sweet tooth, and no dessert ever went unnoticed. Growing up, we often made homemade caramel (dulce de leche) on weekends.
Of course, under the pretense that he had a sore throat, the sweetness would coat it and relieve the pain.
Once solidified, we would spread it over a marble counter, slice it into cubes, and let it cool. It was heaven.
Pro Tips:
- Use high-quality Belgian or Swiss chocolate. You cannot skimp here. The flavor is of the essence, and a good 72% and up dark chocolate, NOT milk chocolate, is what you want to use. The bitter the better as the dulce is quite sweet.
- Do use homemade dulce de leche if you feel brave and have time, the result is unbelievable.
- Milk, do use whole, no substitutes.
I am a big fan of chocolate mousse and have indulged too many times. This dessert is rich in flavor, and my book, a must-do. Serve it in small cups.
If you enjoy this delicious chocolate dulce de leche, check out these flavorful recipes:
What are you making for the upcoming holidays?
Equipment and ingredients used for this recipe
Dulce de Leche Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 ½ cups Dulce de Leche, home-made Dulce de Leche (recipe below) or 1 (13 1/2 ounces) can dulce de leche
- 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate , (72% +) finely chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- whipped cream – optional, whipped cream optional
HOMEMADE DULCE DE LECHE
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
PREPARATION FOR DULCE DE LECHE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
- In a heavy medium saucepan, heat the milk and the dulce de leche, stirring until well blended. Add the chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Allow to cool.
- In a medium bowl beat the heavy cream with an electric mixer until it forms soft peaks. Gently fold the heavy cream into the cooled chocolate mixture.
- Divide into 6 decorative glasses and refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours.
PREPARATION FOR HOMEMADE DULCE DE LECHE
- Stir together the milk, sugar, and baking soda in a heavy 3 to 4 quarts saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, golden color, and thickened, about 1 ½ to 2 hours. After about 1 hour stir more often as milk caramelizes and burns. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
- Transfer to a bowl to cool
Nutrition
Giangi’s Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.
- Course: Desserts
- Cuisine: International
- Season: Fall, Winter
Did you make this?
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Shubhangi
Dulce de leche is my fav and Dulce de Leche Chocolate Mousse looks absolutely delicious.
Giangi Townsend
Thank you so much, Dulce de Leche and Chocolate Mousse are my favorite and the two combined are a very divine combination and taste buds are super happy too.
Mayuri Patel
Two of my favorites in one recipe..chocolate and dulce de leche. Such an exquisite dessert to indulge in.