Recipe: Torta Chilena for Janet (my translation from Spanish)

Torta chilena - a multi-layered pastry (puff pastry) filled with dulce de leche. Here is the recipe:

TORTA CHILENA

1 lb flour
1/4 ounce shortening
1/4 ounce salt
1/2 lb butter (chilled)
1/2 liter water
5 1/4 cups milk caramel sauce
3 ounces powdered sugar

Mix the shortening, flour & salt. Add the water slowly until you obtain the dough. Let it rest for 10 minutes. When you are ready to roll the dough, beat the butter to soften it.

When partially softened, work it in the flour and continue until butter is smooth & easy to spread but still cold. Lightly flour the dough & your hands. Form the dough into a rectangle.

Fold the dough into three: fold the bottom third up to the middle; fold the top down to cover it (just as folding a business letter). Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Repeat this same process twice, including the resting periods.

After the resting periods, unwrap the chilled dough & flour it sparingly top & bottom. Then roll the dough rapidly into a big rectangle. Divide the dough into three rectangles 18x12 each. Preheat the oven at 175C. Bake the rectangles in separate oven ready molds for 20 minutes each.

Let them rest until room temperature & stuff them with DULCE DE LECHE (recipe follows) betwween each of the rectangles. Decorate with powdered sugar over the TORTA.

Dulce de Leche
Source: Michelle Bernstein
Episode: Nuevo Latino--Dessert Show

4 cups milk
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
Vanilla extract

Scald milk in heavy bottom sauce pan. Add all other ingredients, cook on medium low until it turns into caramel, about 1 hour.