An epicurean adventure to: Brazil
Named after the Portuguese word for "married," casadinhos are delightful bite-sized sandwich cookies that hold a special place at Brazilian weddings.
Typically filled with caramelly dulce de leche or sticky guava paste, these adorable cookies are irresistibly delicious and make a cute addition to an afternoon tea or coffee.
We've adapted our recipe to make really light, crumbly cookies with beautiful little cracks in the tops. Traditionally these cookies are rolled in sugar and we love how the sugar settles in the crevices.
You can buy ready-made dulce de leche in a tin, or you can easily make your own from a can of condensed milk - we'll tell you how further down below.

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Fast Facts - Brazil
Location | Brazil is located in South America and is the largest country on the continent, sharing borders with every country in South America except for Chile and Ecuador. |
Capital | Brasília. |
Language | The official language of Brazil is Portuguese, which is spoken by the vast majority of the population. However, there are also many other languages spoken in Brazil, including Spanish, English, German, Italian and a variety of indigenous languages. |
Population | Circa 213 million people. |
Trivia | While many Amazon rain forest visitors anticipate encountering lush foliage, wildlife and flora, hidden within its heart lies Manaus, a bustling city of around two million people. Serving as the capital of the Brazilian state of Amazonas, Manaus boasts attractions like a municipal theatre, opera house, cathedral, botanical and zoological gardens and the esteemed Institute of Amazonian Research. |
What's to love about this recipe
- These Dulce de Leche cookies have a light and crumbly texture.
- Rolled in sugar for an added sweet touch and crunch.
- Easy to make using simple pantry staples.
- Perfect for celebratory occasions or as a sweet afternoon tea or coffee addition.
Key Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
**Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full list of ingredients.
Cornflour
In this recipe, the combination of cornflour (cornstarch) and plain flour is key. Cornflour's ability to absorb more moisture results in cookies with a tender and melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Unsalted butter
This can be substituted with salted butter. Simply leave out the additional salt in the recipe.
Egg
Using room-temperature eggs in baking makes mixing easier, improves volume and ensures a stable batter.
So let the egg sit out for a little while before you start, or simply add it to a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes to speed things up.
Sugar
For the cookies themselves, we use ordinary granulated sugar.
When rolling the cookies, opt for castor sugar or icing sugar for better adherence. Granulated sugar has larger grains and doesn't stick to the cookies well.
You can easily make your own caster sugar by whizzing granulated sugar in a food processor until it's somewhere between the consistency of icing sugar and granulated sugar.
Dulce de Leche
You can buy ready-made dulce de leche in a can, like Nestle's la Lechera or easily make your own. See further below.
Ensure your dulce de leche is thick enough to bind the cookies. When making your own, opt for a darker hue for a thicker consistency, in other words, cook it on the longer side of the spectrum.
As you can see in the ingredient photo above, we used Carnation Caramel for this batch, but honestly, the results can vary. Sometimes it's thick enough, other times it's too runny. Making your own dulce de leche is recommended, or use Nestle's la Lechera if it's available to you.
How to make Dulce de Leche - Three methods
Stovetop
- Remove the label from the can of condensed milk.
- Place the unopened can in a large pot or saucepan.
- Fill the pot with enough water to submerge the can fully.
- Place the pot on the stove over medium heat.
- Bring the water to a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil.
- Reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer.
- Simmer the can for about 2 to 3 hours, ensuring it remains fully submerged in water. Check the water level periodically and add more hot water if needed.
- Turn off the heat and allow the can to cool completely before opening.
- Once cooled, open the can to reveal the luscious dulce de leche.
Note: It's crucial to keep the can fully submerged in water during the entire cooking process to prevent any safety risks. Additionally, avoid opening the can while it's still hot.
Pressure cooker
- Remove the label from the can of condensed milk.
- Place the unopened can in the pressure cooker.
- Add enough water to the pressure cooker to fully submerge the can.
- Close and lock the pressure cooker lid.
- Cook on high pressure for about 40-45 minutes. The exact time may vary depending on your pressure cooker model.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally or use the quick-release method.
- Carefully remove the can from the pressure cooker using tongs or a can lifter.
- Allow the can to cool completely before opening.
- Once cooled, open the can to reveal the rich and creamy dulce de leche.
Note: Ensure that the can is fully submerged in water during the cooking process to prevent any safety hazards. Additionally, never attempt to open the can while it's still hot or under pressure.
Baking
We prefer this method as it allows you to monitor and control the colour of the dulce de leche by checking it in the baking dish.
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Remove the label from the can of condensed milk.
- Pour the condensed milk into an oven-safe dish or a glass baking dish.
- Cover the dish tightly with aluminium foil.
- Place the covered dish in a larger baking pan.
- Fill the larger pan with hot water, creating a water bath around the smaller dish.
- Carefully place the pans in the preheated oven.
- Bake for about 1.5 to 2 hours. Check periodically and add more hot water to the outer pan if needed to maintain a water bath.
- The dulce de leche is ready when it reaches your desired thickness and caramel colour.
- Remove from the oven, let it cool, and refrigerate before using.
Note: Be cautious when handling hot water and pans. Ensure that the dish is tightly covered with foil to prevent water from se
How to make Casadinhos: Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F) and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper (baking paper).
- In a bowl, fork together the cornflour, plain flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, add the softened butter, sugar and egg.
- Beat the mixture until well combined. Don't worry if it appears a bit curdled, it will smooth out when we incorporate the flour.
We like using an electric hand mixer for this, but a wooden spoon or stand mixer works too.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture all at once.
- Use your hands to combine the ingredients together.
- It may appear like a very dry mixture at first, but keep going, it will come together.
- Keep mixing until the dough forms a uniform ball and all the ingredients have been fully incorporated.
- For bite-sized cookies, measure out one level teaspoon-sized portions of dough.
- Roll each portion of dough into a neat, round ball with no cracks or seams showing.
- Space the dough balls out on a baking tray roughly two inches apart (5cm).
- Using the tip of your finger, gently press down on each dough ball to very slightly flatten it.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the bottom of each cookie is a light golden brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely in their baking trays for at least 30 minutes before starting the sandwiching process.
- Spread dulce de leche onto one cookie, adding as much or as little as you want. Just be mindful of how much it may ooze out if you add too much, as tempting as it may be!
- Carefully place another cookie on top of the dulce de leche, gently pressing down to create a sandwich.
- Add caster sugar or powdered sugar to a bowl, then roll each cookie in the sugar until it's coated to your liking.
Variations
- Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- Add lemon or lime zest to the cookie dough.
- Use guava paste for sandwiching if it's available to you.
Storage
Store the casadinhos in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
If freezing, avoid rolling in sugar. Freeze in a single layer with parchment paper between. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
Recipe
Casadinhos - Brazilian Wedding Cookies with Dulce de Leche
Ingredients
- 125 grams cornflour (cornstarch)
- 100 grams plain flour (all purpose flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 90 grams unsalted butter - softened
- 85 grams granulated sugar
- 1 large egg - room temperature
- 1 can (8oz/397g) dulce de leche - or homemade dulce de leche made from a can of condensed milk.
- castor or icing sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F) and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper (baking paper).
- In a bowl, fork together the cornflour, plain flour, baking powder and salt until well combined. Set aside.125 grams cornflour (cornstarch), 100 grams plain flour (all purpose flour), 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a separate large mixing bowl, add the softened butter, sugar and egg.90 grams unsalted butter, 85 grams granulated sugar, 1 large egg
- Beat the mixture until well combined. Don't worry if it appears a bit curdled, it will smooth out when we incorporate the flour. Note: We like using an electric hand mixer for this step, but a wooden spoon or stand mixer works too.
- Add the dry ingredients all at once to the butter and sugar mixture.
- Use your hands to combine the ingredients. Keep mixing until the dough forms a uniform ball and all the ingredients have been fully incorporated.Note: It may appear like a very dry mixture at first that won't bind, but keep going, it will come together.
- For bite-sized cookies, measure out one level teaspoon-sized portions of dough.
- Roll each portion of dough into a neat, round ball with no cracks or seams showing.
- Space the dough balls out on a baking tray roughly two inches apart (5cm).
- Using the tip of your finger, gently press down on each dough ball to very slightly flatten it.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the bottom of each cookie is a light golden brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on their baking trays for at least 30 minutes before starting the sandwiching process.
- Spread dulce de leche onto one cookie, adding as much or as little as you want. Just be mindful of how much it may ooze out if you add too much, as tempting as it may be!
- Carefully place another cookie on top of the dulce de leche, gently pressing down to create a sandwich.
- Add caster sugar or powdered sugar to a bowl, then roll each cookie in the sugar until it's coated to your liking.
**Nutritional data disclaimer**
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is calculated by a third party and we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We try our best to give you the most accurate information, but we do not take responsibility for errors that may be present. Also, the nutritional value of the recipe may change depending on the exact brands and products used. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian for personalised advice on your dietary needs.
Nutrition
For food safety advice, including guidance on food allergies
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