Hot Milk with Dulce de Leche

[sandra]

And a recipe?

Flan Napolitano

Thanks, Sandra. And may I say that "Flan Napolitano" sounds sooooo much better than "Gringo Flan."

Ya, either way, it ain't too Mexican, eh?

I do make it though, I like the little holes it comes out with, like little nooks and crannies for the caramel...

[hillvalley]

I introduced my students to hot milk with Dulce de Leche today.

They absolutely loved it! We could only give them a small amount because we didn't have enough milk, but the little they got was inhaled. Most didn't want to try it because of the funky color, but with one sip they were hooked

[Suzanne F]

Answer to a question people asked way back:

I've had an open jar of DdL in my fridge for 2 1/2 years (well, it took a while until this thread came through) and it's fine. Like other preserved foods -- miso comes to mind -- as long as it doesn't get adulterated, it should last a long, long time.

And to a question no one has asked: if you just leave a can of SCM in the closet for a few years, it will eventually "madeirize" and while not be quite DdL, will take on a caramel color and flavor. Makes a pretty weird-looking Key lime pie, though.

[hillvalley]

Has anyone tried making DdL with the fat free sweetened condensed milk?

[fifi]

Has anyone tried making DdL with the fat free sweetened condensed milk?

The horror! um... No.

As I think about it, though, it might work ok. The sugar carmelizes and the milk solids toast. The fat component doesn't change. There might be some textural differences but it should work. I say give it a try.

[hillvalley]

Has anyone tried making DdL with the fat free sweetened condensed milk?

The horror! um... No.

As I think about it, though, it might work ok. The sugar carmelizes and the milk solids toast. The fat component doesn't change. There might be some textural differences but it should work. I say give it a try.

I agree that it is an abomination, but my coworkers are fat free crazy. I'll le tyou know how it turns out

[andiesenji]

There are several web sites that include the directions for simmering the unopened cans of sweetened condensed milk in a lot of water. That means you have to use a deep pot and put the can on a wire grid to hold it off the bottom of the pot and the can has to be covered by three times its depth by water, and it should be allowed to cool in the water, otherwise you can have an exploding can - the pressure in the can will cause it to split along a seam. I have seen this happen even in a pan of water but that contains the mess.

I have many recipes for dulce de leche, including one that uses half and half cows and goats milk and is very, very good, and is cooked in a crockpot with none of the inherent problems of stovetop cooking.

It is delicious and you would never guess it had goat milk in it.

I posted the recipe on another thread last year, sometime before the SoCal potluck.

[kitwilliams]

Not to say any way is better than other, but I have had no problems, ever, with the following:

put can(s) of sweetened condensed milk in deep saucepan so that they are well covered with water. bring to boil, reduce to a simmer for two and a half hours, checking every so often to ensure cans are covered. With tongs, turn cans over and continue to simmer for another two and a half hours.

Done. Chill.

[chefcyn]

Here is what I do...

Get several cans of sweetened condensed milk. Remove the labels and scrub off the remaining glue (so you don't muck up your pot). Put a dish towel in the bottom of a big pot and put the cans in. Cover with several inches of water and simmer covered for about 4 hours. The dish towel muffles the noise from the cans bumping around. The cover keeps the water level from dropping too much. Some folks are worried about the cans exploding but I have never had that happen in 25 years of doing it.

This is the method I'm familiar with as well (although the dish towel trick is nice!), and it works like a charm and virtually effortlessly. You'll have cans of Dulce de Leche to your heart's content this way. They even keep on the shelf unopened once they're cooked!

But it is CRITICALLY IMPORTANT to refrain from opening the cans until they are thoroughly cooled.

←

Also critical to keep them covered with water the whole time.

[tan319]

The simmer the can method is the best.

Used to do itt with Bain Maries, hotel pans, foil, blehhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Started simmering those cans, life was brilliant .

I would simmer for around 4/5 hours, then leave over the pilots overnight to just get the color perfect.

[andiesenji]

If you have a deep round crockpot, you can also do it overnight in it.

You can fit 3 or 4 cans in the bottom of the crockpot - might as well make extras while you are at it.

Put the cans in the crockpot and fill it with water. Put the lid on and turn it to high for 1 hour - by this time it should be simmering - if not give it another half hour on high.

Then turn it to low and leave it for 6 - 8 hours. Check now and then to make sure the water level is still high.

Turn it off and allow to cool completely.

open one of the cans and if it is dark and thick enough just mark the other cans so you know they have been processed - refrigerate the stuff that has been opened.

If you want it darker, process for an additional period of time and note the total time at a simmer so you can do it that way next time.

My biggest crockpot, 6 quart, holds 8 cans.

[tan319]

The simmer the can method is the best.

Used to do itt with Bain Maries, hotel pans, foil, blehhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Started simmering those cans, life was brilliant .

I would simmer for around 4/5 hours, then leave over the pilots overnight to just get the color perfect.