Ingredients
Method
- Thaw the Cool Whip and prepare the espresso. Thaw one 16-ounce tub or two 8-ounce tubs of Cool Whip Original in the refrigerator according to the package directions. Keep it cold; do not microwave it. Stir 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder into 1 tablespoon hot water until dissolved. If any granules remain, add more hot water 1 teaspoon at a time, up to 2 tablespoons water total, stirring until smooth. Let the espresso concentrate cool completely before adding it to the mascarpone. Use instant espresso powder, not ground coffee or espresso grounds.
- Mix and divide the salted dulce de leche. Stir ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt into the entire 13.4-ounce can of prepared dulce de leche. Measure ½ cup for the mascarpone mixture. From the remainder, reserve 2 tablespoons for the final topping. Use all the remaining dulce de leche for layering, divided evenly among the three layers. The topping caramel comes from the original can; it is not an additional amount.
- Make the coffee mascarpone base. Gently stir 24 ounces plain mascarpone with a spatula just until smooth. Add the completely cooled espresso concentrate, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and ½ cup of the salted dulce de leche. Stir gently until combined; avoid prolonged beating.
- Fold in the Cool Whip. Fold a generous scoop of the cold, fully thawed Cool Whip Original into the mascarpone mixture to loosen it. Fold in the remaining Cool Whip in two additions, using 16 ounces total. Stop when no white streaks remain.
- Fill the bowl and swirl. Spoon one-third of the dip into the serving bowl and dot with one-third of the caramel allocated for layering. Repeat twice. Make a few gentle sweeps with a butter knife to create caramel ribbons. Keep the surface below the rim and put any overflow in a small covered dish.
- Chill, finish, and serve. Cover the assembled dip without touching the surface and refrigerate for approximately 2 hours, until thoroughly chilled. Just before serving, lightly sift up to 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder over the top. Add ½–1 ounce shaved dark chocolate, dot with the reserved 2 tablespoons salted dulce de leche, and finish with a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt, if desired. Serve with a spoon, small plates, and cookies alongside.
Notes
Use prepared dulce de leche, not plain sweetened condensed milk.
Estimated yield: about 10 cups. Serves approximately 20 with ½-cup portions or 15 with generous ⅔-cup portions. Finished volume may vary. Active preparation: approximately 20 minutes. Chilling: approximately 2 hours. Allow additional advance time for refrigerator thawing of Cool Whip and cooling the espresso concentrate.
Serve vanilla and chocolate Stella D’oro Margherite cookies and GOYA Maria cookies alongside the dip. Allow approximately 4–6 cookies per guest—60–90 cookies for 15 guests, plus extra for refilling. Package sizes vary, so check the cookie count when shopping.
Place a serving spoon and small dessert plates beside the bowl. Guests can spoon dip onto their plates and enjoy the cookies alongside it. Keep cookies separate until serving so they stay crisp. Thin cookies may break if pushed directly into the deep bowl.
A large glass trifle bowl shows off the caramel ribbons. Choose a bowl that accommodates the finished batch with space below the rim, and put any excess in a separate covered container.
For transportation, use a food-safe container with a secure lid. Check its actual capacity and the space beneath the lid before filling it. The listed capacity of a bowl is not necessarily the amount it can comfortably carry.
The linked carrier is listed as 88 fluid ounces, or approximately 11 cups to the brim. That does not guarantee room for the estimated 10-cup batch beneath its lid. Fill below the lowest part of the lid and pack any excess separately. Support the container from underneath when carrying it.
You can assemble the dip up to 24 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate at 40°F or below. Allow a freshly assembled batch approximately 2 hours to chill thoroughly.
Reserve the cocoa, chocolate shavings, 2 tablespoons finishing caramel, and optional flaky salt until shortly before serving. Keep the reserved caramel covered and refrigerated. Store cookies separately in a sealed, dry container.
For travel, carry the dip and reserved caramel upright in an insulated cooler with ice packs, keeping them at 40°F or below. Pack the cookies and other toppings separately, then finish the dip at your destination.
Limit the dip’s total time without refrigeration to 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F, counting preparation, unchilled travel, and serving together. Discard dip that exceeds those limits. For longer gatherings, serve smaller amounts and replenish from the refrigerator.
Use promptly refrigerated, cleanly handled leftovers within 2 days of preparation, or sooner if an ingredient’s label requires it. Freezing is not recommended, because the texture may become watery or grainy after thawing.