Dulce de Leche Chocolate Bars

Crunchy dulce de leche chocolate bars on a shortcrust base. I made them completely by accident: I had some pie dough left over and wondered what I could make with it quickly and without much work. I rolled the dough out thin, baked it, spread on a generous layer of dulce de leche with a layer of chocolate on top, and finally scattered over a few cookie crumbs. You can break them by hand or cut them into squares with a knife; either way, it's an especially delicious treat.

Before you start

• This recipe makes lots of bars.
• Not a fan of dulce de leche? You can spread on any other spread you like.
• You can swap the dark chocolate for milk chocolate.

Ingredients for dulce de leche chocolate bars

For the base

• 240 g all-purpose flour (1½ cups + 3 tablespoons).
• 100 g powdered sugar (1 cup minus 2 tablespoons).
• 40 g almond flour.
• 120 g cold butter, cut into cubes.
• A pinch of salt.
• 1 large egg.

For spreading and topping

• 1 jar of dulce de leche.
• About 250 g dark chocolate (start with 200 g, and melt more as needed).
• 10 g vegetable oil (1 tablespoon).
• Cookie crumbs, toasted coconut or anything else you like.

Instructions

1. Make the dough: in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, almond flour, powdered sugar, a pinch of salt and the butter cubes. Mix for a few minutes, until you get small crumbs of dough that look like couscous. Lower the mixer speed, add the egg and mix briefly, just until a ball of dough forms and no more.
2. Roll the dough out between 2 sheets of parchment paper, as thin as possible. Place it on a baking sheet and chill for about 30 minutes (you can divide the dough in 2 and shape each part separately). After chilling, prick the dough all over with a fork.
3. Bake in an oven preheated to 340°F (170°C) for about 20–25 minutes, or until golden (be careful not to burn it).
4. Let it cool for a few minutes and spread generously with dulce de leche. Melt the chocolate in short bursts, add the oil and stir. Pour it over the dulce de leche, and use a small offset spatula to spread it in a thin, even layer. Scatter cookie crumbs, or anything else you like, over the chocolate.
5. Chill for about 30 minutes, then cut or break into pieces.
6. Store the bars in an airtight container in the fridge.