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Dessert Sauces

Dulce de Leche, When Milk Meets Jam

June 28, 2018 by hannahabaffy No Comments

Dulce de Leche

A number of things happen when you cook milk and sugar down for an obscene amount of time. First, you see it thicken, then it begins to brown. Once it’s reached a consistency akin to custard and has achieved a golden brown somewhere between Rob Lowe and David Hasselhoff you have achieved what most of the world refers to as Dulce de Leche.

A flavorful, creamy, spreadable sweet that is as versatile as it is delicious. In Argentina, where it is said to have originated, it’s common practice to spread Dulce de Leche on toast for breakfast. Used to fill pastries, and cakes, poured over ice cream or incorporated into cheesecake, Dulce de Leche is the mother of all sweet accompaniments. Similar to caramel, but very much its own dish, Dulce de Leche is complex and finishes with a bite.

 

History of Dulce de Leche

 

It’s only natural that something so toothsome should be the subject of controversy. In Latin America where Dulce de Leche reigns supreme, several countries (Uruguay, Argentina, and  Mexico) all lay claim to the invention of the dessert. Though Argentina seems to have won the battle through sheer force of will, the true origins of the dish remain shaky.

The French claim that it was Napoleon’s cook who first bumbled across Dulce de Leche in the 19th century. An accident that ended very fortunately for the Bonapartists. Argentina’s story is similar, focusing around the political leader Manuel de Rosa and his cook. Manuel’s absent-minded cook forgot about the Lechada (a drink made of milk and sugar) she was cooking, only to find something much better upon her return.

Other food historians maintain that it came from Indonesia, traveling to the Philippines in the sixteenth century and eventually taking its place in the Spanish gastronomic repertoire when the Philippines were conquered in 1561.

Though Dulce de Leche’s history is surprisingly bland, the dish itself is as previously mentioned something otherworldly and can be made in a multitude of ways. Here are five easy methods for making Dulce de Leche that anyone can manage with nothing more than a pot of water, a can of sweetened condensed milk, and a little patience.

 

Dulce de Leche

 

 

The Big Five

Number 1: The Stovetop Method

This is the most labor-intensive way to make Dulce de Leche, but some prefer the ability to source their own ingredients.

Ingredients

4 cups Whole Milk

2 cups Sugar

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract or 1 Vanilla Bean

Instructions

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan bring milk to a boil. Once the milk is bubbling add in all remaining ingredients and whisk until well combined and the sugar has completely dissolved. Turn down the heat and simmer the combination over medium-low heat for two to three hours. Stirring only occasionally, every fifteen minutes or so.  Test for doneness by spooning out a small portion of the dulce onto a plate. If it stays firmly in the middle without running the dulce is ready.

 

Number 2: The Double-boiler Method

Ingredients

1 (14 oz) can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Instructions

Begin by filling the bottom of a double-boiler around halfway with water. You’ll definitely want more than the typical inch in the bottom for this recipe. Bring the water to a rolling boil before lowering the temperature just enough to maintain a steady simmer. Add in the sweetened condensed milk and begin to cook. Every forty-five minutes or so, give the milk a stir and check the level of the water, adding more as it evaporates. Continue this for 2½ to 3 hours until you’ve reached a thick pudding-like consistency and a gorgeous golden brown. Allow time for the Dulce de Leche to cool and thicken completely before using.

 

Number 3: The Open-Can Closed-Can Method

This is the most controversial of the five, as with the closed-can method you run the risk of your can(s) exploding while they cook. This only happens if you forget about the task at hand and let the water level get too low. Water acts as an insulator never allowing the can or what’s inside it to get hotter than 100℃/212℉. So long as the can is fully submerged there is no need to fear.

Ingredients

1 (14 oz) can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Instructions

Closed-can

Fill a large pot, equipped with a lid with water and bring to a rolling boil. Remove the labels from the cans and using a pair of canning tongs gently place your can(s) of sweetened condensed milk in the water on their sides. Make sure the water level is at least an inch higher than the cans. Boil for three to four hours (depending on how thick you want your dulce) checking on the water level every forty minutes or so. When done remove the can and allow to cool completely before attempting to open it. Otherwise, you’ll be faced with a scalding geyser of caramelized milk.

 

Open-can

To avoid even the possibility of an explosion you can employ the open-can method. Begin by removing the wrapper from the can and poking a hole in the top with a can opener. Place the can, hole side up, and fill the pot with water until it’s about ¼ of an inch away from the top of the can. Now crank up the heat and boil for the next 3-4 hours. Checking on the water level every forty-five minutes or so. Remove from the heat when finished and allow to cool for several hours before opening (see reason above).

 

Number 4: The Oven Method

Ingredients

1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 440℉/225℃ and bring a large kettle of water to a boil.

In a shallow baking dish pour in the sweetened condensed milk and cover the dish with aluminum foil, being sure to seal the edges. Place your milk filled baking dish in a large roasting pan, set them both on the oven rack. Pour the now boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the smaller baking dish.  Bake for two hours for a nice thick dark Dulce de Leche. Depending on your intended purposes for the dulce, feel free to play around with the time, baking it until you achieve the color and texture you’re after.

 

Number 5: The Pressure Cooker Method

Ingredients

1 can of Sweetened Condensed Milk

Instructions

Place your can(s) on their sides in the bottom of your pressure cooker and pour in cold water, enough to cover them by about an inch. Seal the lid and turn your cooker on high until it begins to whistle (the signal that it has reached pressure) then turn it down slightly making sure it’s still high enough for the pressure cooker to maintain its pressure. Cook for forty minutes, then turn off the cooker and open the valve to allow the steam to escape and the pressure to release. When the cooker unlocks remove the lid and using tongs remove the cans and allow to cool undisturbed for several hours.

Dulce de Leche can be kept well-sealed in the refrigerator for three weeks to a month. And there are some who say that if kept sealed in the can as with the pressure cooker or closed-can methods, can be kept for years and years with no effect on either flavor or color.

The truth of this statement remains unknown as no Dulce de Leche in the history of the world has ever survived longer than a week.

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About Me

Hi, I'm Hannah. Creator of Milk + Honey and long time curious eater. Join me as I explore the surprising history behind some of the world's most iconic dishes, and figure out the best ways to prepare them.

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The superiority of chocolate, both for health and The superiority of chocolate, both for health and nourishment, will soon give it the same preference over tea and coffee in America which it has in Spain.
-Thomas Jefferson

While not necessarily for the health reasons stated, Jefferson’s prediction has certainly come to materialize, at least in my home.
A debate I had with my husband shortly after makin A debate I had with my husband shortly after making this honey-almond “snack cake”: As we sat around “snacking,” we began to discuss what the real difference was between Snack cakes and Snacking cakes. Banal, yet relevant in the moment. 

This arbitrary mystery resulted in a lot of opinions and by the end of it, several unanswered questions. 

So I put it to you, Instagram Family, what is the real difference between Snack cakes and Snacking cakes? Are the terms so similar as to be inconsequential, or do their comparabilities hide deeper differences? 

The perimeters (at least in my mind) are these: Leftover birthday cake that becomes the next morning’s breakfast would definitely be a snack cake. Meaning a snack cake, while sounding laid-back, could be a slice of sophisticated dacquiouse or some other luxurious dessert.
Whereas a snacking cake would be something more along the lines of a sheet cake (like the classic chocolate Texas variety). More than a brownie but less than a layer cake. Something you could take a fork to but would probably just pick up with your hands. 

In short, any cake can be a snack. But not every cake is a snacking cake.

Thoughts?
When confronted by the age old question: ‘chocol When confronted by the age old question: ‘chocolate or carrot,’ which do you choose?
Is it too soon for #pumpkinspice ? Is it too soon for #pumpkinspice ?
Fragranced by delicate basil, rich with parmesan a Fragranced by delicate basil, rich with parmesan and pine nuts, and packing a garlicky punch, our braided pesto bread is the ideal way to use up your garden’s bounty. 

Also it looks impressive. Pull-out all the stops and impress your family and guests with this ultra-easy and rewarding loaf.
Consumed by Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs the ancient Consumed by Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs the ancient Mesoamericans are remembered as the original chocolate lovers. Considered a sacred beverage among them, cocoa was used during celebrations and religious ceremonies and was thought to lend the drinker strength.

It is said that Montezuma kept a massive storehouse of cocoa beans, and drank 50 golden cups of the stuff a day, decreeing that only those men brave enough to face battle would be permitted to join him in drinking it. Chocolate eventually becoming a regular part of military rations among the Aztecs. 

The belief that chocolate was a powerful elixir that lent its drinker extra virility and strength seems to have made its way into European and US thinking as well and may explain the application of including chocolate or pressed cakes of cocoa powder in US military rations, an operation practiced all the way up to the Vietnam war. 

With piles of historical evidence it would stand to reason that chocolate must be good for me, so I’m going to start making a regular habit of indulging in it. Each bite imbuing me with strength, vim, and vigor. Don’t stay a weakling all your life, join me in making these chocolate pot de creme today and start eating more chocolate.
A creamy savior, ice cream was America’s refuge A creamy savior, ice cream was America’s refuge during Prohibition, and one of our favorite forms of solace during the Great Depression. One might argue that without the aid of ice cream we might not be here today.
"Good apple pies are a considerable part of our do "Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness." — Jane Austen
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