Prior to last weekend, I can't say that "dulce de leche" was really on my radar, other than the Girl Scout cookie flavor (which I obviously didn't buy, because that would have cut down on the space I had for Samoas) and the Starbucks flavor (again, spot previously filled by caramel macchiatos, now even available in a skinny version). Anyway, I can't speak for the quality of Girl Scout or Starbucks DDL products, but obviously there is something wrong with their marketing because I had a fundamental misunderstanding of DDL. "Mexican caramel" is a seriously lacking description. What DDL really is, as I discovered, is a rich, creamy toffee-like sauce, which unlike caramel (sorry, caramel) stands on its own.
But back to my life before last Sunday. I had plucked this recipe out of the June 2010 bon appetit because it fit an obscure category, desserts that complement Mexican food (a category that is made all the more difficult by the fact that after consuming chips, salsa, margaritas and fajitas the thought of more food is generally disturbing). An occasion presented itself, and off to the store I went. I wrongly assumed trusty Central Market would not fail to carry DDL, but I was saved by a lovely woman I met in the store who informed me that she had an easy DDL recipe that was also cheaper than the prepared stuff. Sold. It's available here, and it fit her description so well I truly wish I could thank her in person (and then roll my eyes at the silly bon appetit staffer who didn't find the recipe in their archives). The DDL recipe makes just enough for the cheesecake bars recipe, with a little leftover to serve on top of strawberries or ice cream, or to lick off several spoons.
Back to the cheesecake bars. The only real trick is timing. There are numerous "cooling" steps, which really only work on a lazy Sunday where you are doing loads of laundry and reading Agatha Christie novels. An ideal timetable would go like this:
(1) set out cream cheese to soften and preheat oven.
(2) make and bake graham cracker crust.
(3) make DDL.
(4) let graham cracker crust cool on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.
(5) let DDL cool and thicken in fridge, probably 30-45 minutes.
(6) take a break while #4 and #5 are going on.
(7) assemble cheesecake filling; this is easy.
(8) bake cheesecake bars; another long break while they cook.
(9) let cheesecake bars cool, which takes at least an hour and a half.
(10) when finally cool, glaze and let sit for an hour (although overnight is better, and will prevent the DDL from running over when you slice, as mine did in the picture).
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