Chocotorta: Can I Get An AMEN!?

Chocotorta

A quick, sweet post to kick-start your weekend about a ridiculously simple, ridiculously delicious Argentinian dessert – Chocotorta. This very popular dulce de leche-spiked, layered dessert reminds me a bit of tiramisu with an Argentine twist. What could be more Argentinian than dulce de leche? When Joan of Foodalogue revisited her Culinary Tour food event (which I love, by the way) to represent South America, I looked at the list and saw Argentina and thought about all the Argentinian specialities we still wanted to make for the blog. We had done so many Argentine posts before (including locro, milanesas, choripan and the ubiquitous parilla delicacies), but never anything sweet. With the deadline looming, I quickly did what I could to recreate the fabulous, famous Chocotorta. It’s not perfect, but it sure was delicious.

Just like any famous American desserts, the Chocotorta can be made in a variety of ways.  It seems as though different families make it different ways.  Two things that are constant in every family’s recipe are chocolate wafer cookies or biscuits and dulce de leche.  Some soak their cookies/biscuits in coffee before they begin to layer, others soak it in milk, cafe con leche or even sweet wine. Many use a mixture of only cream cheese and dulce de leche for the filling while others use whipped cream or a mixture of whipped and cream cheese. Some top their chocotorta with icing, chocolate or dulce de leche and others just top it with a final layer of cookies/biscuit.  I take all these variations as a “freedom of choice” – be creative and make your chocotorta the way you want to!

Chocotorta

Unfortunately, I had to “wing it” on the chocolate biscuit front because there were only a limited type at my grocery store. Traditionally, the Argentines use the rectangular Chocolinas to do their layering. I used the circular Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafer Cookies (which, after some research are sometimes difficult to find in stores…strange) and even had to throw in a layer of Goya Maria Cookies because I was desperate and ran out of the others (don’t kill me over lack of authenticity, please!). The final result ended up pretty because of the circular cookies and, because I let the flavors meld together for a day, it held together very well and tasted fabulous.

Chocotorta

This is most definitely a dessert anyone can make, even someone like me who CAN NOT BAKE. If you can dip, stir and layer, you’re good to go. This recipe probably makes more filling than you need. Do what I did and store it in the freezer for a day when you either want to make another one or (like me) feel like grabbing a spoon and having filling for dessert.

CHOCOTORTA

  • 50 to 60 chocolate cookies or biscuits (Goya and Nabisco have good ones or you could make your own)
  • 1 cup of espresso or coffee
  • 1 cup of dulce de leche or make your own (more if you like! do a taste test!)
  • 1 1/2 cup of cream cheese
  • 1 1/2 cup whipped cream
  • plastic wrap
  1. Start by lining a square or rectangular pan with plastic wrap, leaving about 8 inches extra on each side. Run another going up and down, again leaving 8 inches extra on each side. You are going to use these extra “flaps” to wrap the Chocotorta up.
  2. In a bowl, whip the cream cheese with the dulce de leche. Use a spatula to fold them in together or a hand mixer to whip them together.  Fold in the whipped cream until it is all mixed together.
  3. Now let’s start assembling! Soak each cookie/biscuit in coffee and then start your first layer on the plastic wrap in the pan.  After you have created the first layer “bottom” of biscuits, spread the dulce de leche mixture over it, covering it completely.  Continue this process layer after layer:  soaking each cookie in coffee, creating a layer of cookies, then spreading the dulce de leche mixture over it.  Make sure you have at least 4 layers, or go higher if you so dare.
  4. When you are finished layering, add your final layer of cookies/biscuit and then wrap the plastic warp tightly over it and place your labor of love in the fridge.  Allow to sit, untouched, for at least 5 hours, preferably overnight.  Slice and enjoy!

Chocotorta

32 thoughts on “Chocotorta: Can I Get An AMEN!?

  1. I’m so glad you came up with this chocotorta. I’ve never seen it, but I will be on the lookout for when I go to BA later this year…if I don’t make it at home before. It’s definitely my kind of dessert. I’m a bake-a-phobic too. Hate things that require flour, mixers and mess. But, more than that, it really looks delicious. Amen!

  2. I have never seen those chocolate wafer cookies before, but I always keep a can of dulce de leche in the fridge (a spoonful with a flake of Maldon has satisfied many a craving). I’ll have to keep an eye out forcthe Goya ones at my neighborhood mercado.

  3. AMEN! Chocolate cookies and lots of creamy stuff. How can you go wrong?

    The best place for Famous Chocolate Wafers is in the low-end grocery stores. You won’t find them (or anything remote like them) at Whole Foods, but you can always get them at A&P or Stop & Shop (if the companies merge, would it be called Stop & P?) I know a pretty simple recipe for bitter chocolate wafers, but you have to believe in yourself! Yes, you can bake if you just follow the recipe.

  4. Hi,
    this looks divine! I’d like to make the chocotorta from scratch because I don’t think we have all the ingredients here (Goya, Nabisco, Dulce de Lece)… Any suggestion how I can make dulce de lece? Thanks!

    1. Hi, ap269 – we would’ve made this from scratch but didn’t have time. but it can totally be made from scratch. a reader gave a link earlier in the comment section to a recipe for the biscuit/cookies (from SmittenKitchen). Click that one – it’s recommended. As for dulce de leche, it’s extremely simple to make from scratch. Here’s a recommended link for that – http://www.applepiepatispate.com/dessert/dulce-de-leche-recipe/

      some people take a short cut w/ making dulce de leche by just simmering sweetened condensed milk until it’s dark and thick. not sure if that turns out as good as the other way, but let us know what you do.

      i’d love to hear how your adventures go! thank you so much for your comment/questions!

  5. I am so glad that I found this post. Somehow I missed it earlier but I have made a similar desert using the Famous Chocolate Wafers. The recipe is on the box and it is basically just making a log of layered whipped cream and the wafers and freezing it. I have changed it occasionally and just made a trifle kind of thing with fresh fruit and the wafers and whipped cream, of course! This type is better to refrigerate and not freeze. I have been trying to think of something that would be a bit different and this is a perfect fit. I look forward to making this one! It is sometimes hard to find the FCW and when I do I buy a few and keep them in the freezer.

  6. In Argentina, “Mendicream” (a brand name), which is used in this Argentinean recipe isn’t cream cheese. “Queso crema” or “Mendicream” is more the consistency of sour cream or mascarpone. I have to say thought that the chocolate waffers here in the U.S. are more chocolaty than “Chocolinas” which is the cookie that is used in Argentina. And the chocolate waffers that you used will probably make a richer, and more delicious Chocotorta.

  7. Delicious! I’m totally with Diana here. Your biscuits look more chocolatey, which would make a better chocotorta. And to concur with Diana, “queso crema” is sour cream – not just in consistency, but in flavour. When I make this cake here in Oz, I use sour cream because the contrast against all that sweetness is absolutely divine.

  8. For those of you who have visited Argentina and haven’t tried it, it’s because they don’t serve it in restaurants- only Argentine families make it at home- a quick and easy dessert- kind of like jello – it’s something you eat at home, you can’t order it anywhere. Mendicrem isn’t sourcream or cream cheese, it’s it’s own thing.

  9. I’m argentinian and it looks really good, but in my opinion it is much better without the whipped cream, using only sourcream and dulce de leche.
    If any of you is coming to Argentina nowadays they serve it in many restaurants as dessert, one of the best ones is Tea Connection http://www.teaconnection.com.ar/

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