One of the most delightful and decadent flavors of the century, dulce de leche (Spanish for sweet milk) is a versatile and delicious caramel sauce that can be easily made at home with one ingredient: sweetened condensed milk. Sweetened condensed milk can be found in the baking aisle of most major grocery chains. Any brand will technically do, but don't confuse this with evaporated milk, which will not produce the desired result.
It is said that a fortunate kitchen accident produced the delectable caramel concotion when an Argentinian woman overcooked a batch of sweet milk resulting in 'Dulce de Leche'. Once a South American traditional delight, Dulce de Leche has emerged into the popular forefront gracing everything from coffee flavors to Hershey's kisses. Traditional recipes generally call for slowly simmering a combination of vanilla, milk and sugar until it caramelizes, but you can use another tried and true method which requires only one ingredient: a can of sweetened condensed milk.
Don't let its simplicity fool you. A comfort food to rival no other, the uses for Dulce de Leche are endless. It makes a delightful dessert spread on ladyfingers and topped off with a dollop of whipped cream. Equally delicious - simply serve it over waffles or even as a fruit dip. This recipe is so easy (and the end result so delicious), you'll likely be delighted just scooping it up with your finger.
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Place an opened can of sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated), with its label removed, in a large pan filled with water. Cover the can tightly with foil. The water should almost (but not quite) reach the top of the can. If desired, you may fix multiple cans at the same time.
- Cover the pan with a lid and place in oven.
- Bake for two and a half hours, carefully replacing any evaporated water as needed.
The Dulce de Leche is done when the milk has thickened into a pudding-like consistency and turned a rich, caramel brown color. Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool, then transfer to a tightly lidded jar or container and refrigerate.
For a unique and homemade gift, simply decant the Dulce de Leche into glass jars and tie with a bit of colorful ribbon or twine (and perhaps the tiniest silver spoon).
Dulce de Leche will keep for 1-2 weeks in your refrigerator, but it's doubtful that it will ever last that long.
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