Dulce De Leche From Scratch Food

MANJAR (DULCE DE LECHE) FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Bring milk, sugar, and vanilla extract to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking, and continuously stirring until the milk has thickened and turned a caramel color, about 1 hour or more.
• Stir in baking soda. Continue cooking until the caramelized milk has reached a pudding consistency. Pour manjar into a bowl and cool completely in the refrigerator.

DULCE DE LECHE

Steps:

• Combine the milk, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds in a large, 4-quart saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the baking soda and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered at a bare simmer. Stir occasionally, but do not re-incorporate the foam that appears on the top of the mixture. Continue to cook for 1 hour. Remove the vanilla bean after 1 hour and continue to cook until the mixture is a dark caramel color and has reduced to about 1 cup, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a month.

HOMEMADE DULCE DE LECHE

Steps:

• Classic menthod:
• Stir together 4 cups milk, 1 1/4 cups sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and thickened, about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. (After about an hour, stir more often as milk caramelizes, to avoid burning.) Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
• Sweetened condensed milk method:
• Heat oven to 425°F with rack in middle. Pour the contents of 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate and cover tightly with foil. Set plate in a roasting pan and add enough hot water to pan to reach halfway up pie plate. Bake milk in middle of oven 45 minutes. Check water level and add additional, if necessary, then continue to bake 45 minutes more, or until milk is thick and brown. Remove pie plate from water bath and cool, uncovered. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

QUICK DULCE DE LECHE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the milk and sugar and cook over medium heat until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. The mixture will turn the color of peanut shells.

DULCE DE LECHE (FROM SCRATCH!)

Steps:

• In a large, heavy pan with tall sides (I'd recommend a stock pot), combine the milk and sugar.
• Split the vanilla bean along its length and scrape the seeds into the pot, then throw in the pod. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
• When it has reached a simmer, remove from the heat and add the baking soda and water, stirring vigorously.
• When the mixture settles down, return the pan to the heat and bring to a brisk simmer.
• Simmer for about one hour, or until it turns golden brown. You don't have to stir constantly. I worked around the kitchen and stirred it every once in a while.
• After the milk mixture has changed to a deep golden brown check it more frequently. This is where you can decide just how dense and thick you want it to be.
• If you want it pourable, like caramel sauce, wait just until it reaches the consistency of maple syrup - about 20 minutes after the color change - and take it off the heat.
• Strain through a mesh strainer into a glass jar or container and let cool. To make the ice cream, I removed the amount the recipe called for at this stage.
• If you prefer a jam-like consistency to spread on toast, crackers, and anything else you can think of, let it cook longer.
• To make the candy, keep simmering and stir the mixture constantly.
• Once it's the consistency you want, remove from heat.
• Let it cool a bit and then mold it into whatever shapes you'd like.
• Cool candy on wax paper.

DULCE DE LECHE

Steps:

• For the stovetop method: Remove the label from the can of sweetened condensed milk. Place 3 to 4 forks upside down on the bottom of a large 6- to 8-quart pot. Place the unopened can on top of the forks and cover with water by a few inches. (The forks help to prevent a vacuum between the bottom of the can and the pot.) Place the pot over high heat until it reaches a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low or low to maintain a steady simmer for about 3 hours. Add more water to the pot if necessary to ensure that the can is submerged at all times. Let the can cool to room temperature in the water before removing. Open the can and scoop out the contents. The dulce de leche should be dark and caramelized.
• For the oven method: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place a shallow baking dish in a roasting pan. Pour the sweetened condensed milk into the baking dish and cover the dish with foil. Transfer the roasting pan to the oven and add enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake until the dulce de leche is dark and caramelized, 60 to 75 minutes, checking the water level occasionally and adding more if needed. Let cool, then whisk until smooth.
• Transfer the dulce de leche to an airtight container, put plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

DULCE DE LECHE

Steps:

• Pierce the top of the can with a bottle opener and remove paper from can.
• Cover top of can tightly with aluminum foil.
• Place in a sauce pan, submerge in water to 1" from the top.
• Boil over med-low heat for 4 hours.
• Open lid of can and place contents in a bowl.
• EXCELLENT for dipping apples, pears, crackers and for spreading of bread and great on ice cream!