Dulce de Leche in cocktails

[Shalmanese]

Simple question. Any ideas for using Dulce De Leche in cocktails?

[Worldly]

Simple question. Any ideas for using Dulce De Leche in cocktails?

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Wow that's a rough one - I can understand wanting to - it's such good stuff.

Perhaps not very inventive of me, but I'm thinking with Kahlua or other coffee liquer, maybe Baileys. Might even go with a nice demerara rum (I highly recommend the Eldorado 15 year old) - that same caramel toasty flavour.

Another you might consider is Stroh spiced rum. Again, a sort of sticky candy flavour that might mix with DDL. Just don't get the Stroh 80 - not 80 proof, 80%, and too strong for drinking without a substantial amount of mixer (and even then, why?)

[slkinsey]

Since dulce de leche is a milk-based sweet, and a very thick one, I am not sure how easy it would be to incorporate into a cocktail. I would think a small amount of it might work in a rum or whiskey based fizz-type drink that was exhaustively shaken.

[mkayahara]

Hmm... I'm reminded of this comment left in another thread, especially the part I've put in boldface:

Mezcals also mix well with the following:

Kahlua, Grapefruit soda, tropical juices such as passion and mango juices, orange, condensed Milk (makes a nice crema).  In Oaxaca, there are a number of fruit flavored Mezcals which are not available in the US yet.

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I'm not sure how well the smokiness of mezcal would go with dulce de leche, but it might be worth trying out!

[johnnyd]

In Brazil, Batida de coco is made with two parts coconut cream and one part cachaça. I'd imagine you could tweak this and combine one part coconut cream, and one part dulce de leite for a richer Batida.

And how about adding one part pineapple puree to the above as a mix for a measure of rum? You get a more intense version of a Pina Colada

[Shalmanese]

Since dulce de leche is a milk-based sweet, and a very thick one, I am not sure how easy it would be to incorporate into a cocktail.  I would think a small amount of it might work in a rum or whiskey based fizz-type drink that was exhaustively shaken.

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You could mix it with something else in a blender and then use the thinner solution in a cocktail.

[alacarte]

Bailey's recently introduced a caramel flavor that sounds like it would be a match for a dulce de leche mix. But damned if I can find it anywhere....

[dockhl]

Bailey's recently introduced a caramel flavor that sounds like it would be a match for a dulce de leche mix. But damned if I can find it anywhere....

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Bailey's caramel

might not come up until you enter your birthdate.......

they are having a Drinkable Dessert contest, too............

Drinkable Dessert rules

[freshherbs]

there is a good product out there called Dulseda as well. a dulce de leche liqueur...

[Shalmanese]

Not quite a Dulce De Leche cocktail but a thick hot chocolate with a healthy slug of dulce de leche and another healthy slug of bourbon was the perfect thing to warm me up on a winters day.

[KatieLoeb]

I was thinking bourbon would be the best spirit for dulce mixing as well.

That hot cocoa sounds like the cure for all that ails on a chilly night!

[Friend of the Farmer]

Dulce de leche can be so wonderful because of its rich full creamy taste, but I think too easily recede to a less savory taste sensation through dilution. If you enjoy a real dulce de leche, you may find both the Duseda and (especially) the Bailey's Caramel to be lacking. I'd strongly suggest a focus on pairing options with the real deal - dulce de leche desserts.

Last year at Christmas we had a big hit with a traditional bread pudding with dulce de leche and served with a pear williams brandy. Katie's suggestion of bourbon could really pair well. More recently have had a Bantoffee pudding (e.g. pie) with a scotch whiskey - and will try that at home.

Let us know what you end up trying - whether in drink or on the table!

[JasonTrue]

Maybe caffe corretto (espresso with some liquor such as cognac, tequila, rum, etc) poured affogato-style over vanilla ice cream, drizzled with dulce de leche.

It's not a cocktail, but it would certainly do the trick. Alcoholic ice cream concoctions were popular when I was in Germany....

Edited December 1, 2006 by JasonTrue (log)

[Chris Amirault]

I was thinking bourbon would be the best spirit for dulce mixing as well.

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I think Katie's right: bourbon (or rye) would probably match up well. That would also open up the door for some interesting uses of bitters, Angostura or orange, probably. Burnt orange twist over that....

Interesting question!

[KatieLoeb]

Applejack might be interesting too. Kind of like a caramel apple!

Hot milk punch recipes were popular in the old days. I suspect something akin to a hot dulce de leche milk punch with hooch-of-your-choosing could be a mighty fine way to spend a chilly evening.

Of course now between this thread and Donbert's blog I have to go buy some SCM tomorrow and make dulce de leche and test this theory myself. It's turned quite chilly and very windy here in the last couple of days and this might be what I need when I get home late at night, frozen from walking to the house from my car.

Damn you people! And damn me for being so easily lead...

[eje]

Being far lazier than donbert, I purchased some canned cow milk dulce de leche and goat milk based cajeta.

Some initial experimentation with the cow milk dulce de leche.

Keemum tea sweetened with dulce de leche and spiked with a splash of Scotch whisky was quite tasty.

Same Scotch spiked with the keemum/dulce de leche combo, hit with a dash of bitters, and shaken with ice, not so good. Unpleasant murky color. Also, I slipped when pouring the drinkboy house bitters and ended up with a far too bitter and spicy drink.

I'm kind of interested in diluting the dulce de leche slightly and using it in layered cocktails. Will see how that goes. I'm curious where the specific gravity will fall.

[KatieLoeb]

I've just finished boiling up a can of SCM in the pressure cooker and am waiting for it to cool enough to open up and run the can under cold water. If I have time to experiment tonight, I will, if not, in the next day or so and will report back.

[KatieLoeb]

I heated about 5 oz. of 2% milk in the microwave with a healthy blob of DdL in it. I whirled it through the blender and added a couple of drops of vanilla extract, a healthy shot of Applejack and a grating of fresh nutmeg on top. Very tasty grownup version of warm milk. In fact, it's making me quite sleepy so I'm off to bed.

edited to add: