Dulce de Leche

[bushey]

Can someone suggest creative ways to use Dulce de Leche in addition to the ones already mentioned? I'm looking for ideas for a simple but delicious dessert and don't want to go the crepe route. It's apple time in New England and I was thinking about combining the two somehow.

Edited September 8, 2003 by bushey (log)

[KatieLoeb]

Can someone suggest creative ways to use Dulce de Leche in addition to the ones already mentioned? I'm looking for ideas for a simple but delicious dessert and don't want to go the crepe route. It's apple time in New England and I was thinking about combining the two somehow.

Apple Cobbler with Dulce de Leche drizzled on top. Droooling just thinking about it.

Cheesecake with diced apples and a ribbon of Dulce through it.

Apple bread pudding with Dulce sauce.

I'll post again if I think of others.

[sandra]

Tarte Tatin with a big dollop on the side

Apple flan with dulce de leche on top ( a variant of the classic)

Apple cake filled and frosted with dulce de leche

[elyse]

Fondue.

[Mottmott]

WOW, if you're going to this much trouble, why not just make the real thing:

The stuff in the can is good, but it's a totally different animal to dulce de leche, we call it telegoo (don't know why..)

...

I'd buy one of these first

Wow! if that thing works it might be worth its space. Does it?

If so, what do you call it, and do you have a web address?

[kthull]

Mottmott, it's called StirChef and you can read more about it at www.stirchef.com.

As for whether it works...no idea. The site doesn't sell the product, but does list where you can purchase it.

If you get it, let us know how it does the job!

[fredbram]

WOW, if you're going to this much trouble, why not just make the real thing:

3 liters milk

800 gr sugar

1 vanilla pod

1/2 tea baking soda

Boil the milk, add the sugar, vanilla and bicarbonate - boil again on high heat and stir with wooden spoon continuosly until it thickens and becomes golden caramel colour - spoon out a small amount, if it's not runny, it's ready - dip the base of the pot in ice water. stir a bit more an leave to cool.

This usually takes under and hour.

The stuff in the can is good, but it's a totally different animal to dulce de leche, we call it telegoo (don't know why..)

I am interested in comparing the canned and the from scratch. It sounds from the lack of response that no-one else that is on this thread has made it from scratch. I am going to give it a try and I'll report back. Thanks for the recipe. Telegoo

[ladygoat]

I tried the canned way the other day. I put the can of sweetened condensed milk in a crock pot with a lot of water, on high, for about 5 hours. Here is the result:

It was pretty thick, more caramel-ish than syrup-y, but it was pretty good. We're going to try to make them into balls and cover them with chocolate.

[fredbram]

I made a batch of Dulce de Leche following your formula, Sandra. It took a little longer than an hour, but I might have been cooking it slower.

I also cooked a can following boil can in water approach.

My initial reaction to a taste test is that the scratch made tasted a little better, the can had a little off flavor in a side by side comparison, although the difference was minor. The bigger difference was textural. The scratch made Dulce had a more syrup-like stickiness to it, while the canned was almost creamier. It's not that one was thicker than the other, just different. I have to say that I preferred the texture of the canned a little more, and preferred the flavor of the scratch a little more.

Of course, this was anything but a controlled experiment. The canned was somewhat darker--was it cooked further? Maybe somehow the method of cooking it in the can caramelizes the milk without reducing it as much, therefore accounting for the textural difference?

As of now my conclusion is that they are both pretty close to each other, and both delicious. Since I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the Dulce(besides eating on ice cream every night), I don't know whether one might be better for some uses than the other. The Jamie Oliver recipe sounds interesting is it possible for someone to post it?

[MGLloyd]

Of course, this was anything but a controlled experiment. The canned was somewhat darker--was it cooked further? Maybe somehow the method of cooking it in the can caramelizes the milk without reducing it as much, therefore accounting for the textural difference?

I wonder if the difference in color and texture between canned and scratch can be accounted for the pastuerization or other heat processing that the canned product undergoes after sealing. So from that perspective, is the canned product already very slightly cooked or the proteins heat denatured as compared to the scratch made product?

But as you say, there are already so many variables in the experiment, it is difficult to say with certainty.

[Toliver]

A big pot with lots of water can sit at barely simmering for 4 hours without any attention. Then you can just put the cans in the pantry.

fifi and everyone who's done this,

Do you have to weigh the cans down so they stay in place? I'm assuming they're heavy enough not to float so they will stay submerged. But say you're just doing one or two cans. Or does it not even matter, just as long as they're covered with water?

[FoodMan]

I made only one can and it IS heavy enough to sink. You do not need to weigh it down.

The Jamie Oliver recipe sounds interesting is it possible for someone to post it?

First I would like to thanak you for posting the experiment's results. I think I expected such results and I do think it is worth it to boil a few cans at a time and store them so u can use them for whatever, whenever you like. My next project with the stuff is to try and make a Dulce De Leche ice cream similar to that of Haagen Daaz (Hey, one can dream!!!).

As for the Jamie Oliver recipe, it is wonderful. I can paraphrase it when I get home and hacve the book handy if you like. All it is is a baked mini-tart shell filled with banana, Dulce De Leche, and topped with espresso whip cream and caramalized almonds.

FM

[Yong Tae Kim]

I am trying to make some 'alfajores' that I used to eat in South America and the recipe calls for dulce de leche for the filling.

A quick internet search turned up three methods of preparing dulce de leche at home.

The first method is making it from scratch with milk and sugar and cooking it until it turns brown in color.

The second method calls for submerging a can of sweetened condensed milk in a pot of water that is brought to simmer for a predetermined amount of time.

The third method involves cooking the sweetened condensed milk that has been poured into a double boiler until it turns brown in color.

The second and third methods appear to be easier to implement, especially the second method. However, my concern with the second method is the type of can that the condensed milk is packaged in. Is there a possibility of the can exploding if I use a can that has a 'pull-top' kind of opening method rather than the traditional can that requires a can opener to open?

Has anyone tried the third method, and could this double boiler be replaced by a slow cooker instead?

Thanks for any suggestions!

[scott123]

I would avoid using the pull top can for any in-can cooking method. During cooking the inside of the can reaches a higher pressure than the force needed to pull the cover off. I highly doubt the covered wouldn't explode.

[GG Mora]

There's also this thread. About half way down the second page are results of a test I did, with photos, comparing the different cooking methods.

My Argentinian friend reports that at home, they would put a handful of glass marbles in the pot of simmering DdL to minimize the buildup of sludge on the bottom and sides of the pan. This is for the version starting with whole milk. She also reports that they would thicken it with a little cornstarch to use when filling alfajores.

Any moderators reading this? Should these threads be combined into a master all-inclusive Dulce de Leche thread?

[achevres]

I made alfajores with dulce de leche some time ago. They were a huge hit at 2 separate parties. I suggest you assemble them close to serving time--not the day before. I made mine small and cut them with the large end of a cake decorating tip and then filled them by putting the dulce de leche in a pastry bag and piping the filling.

After an extensive internet and cookbook search I decided to be brave and make the dulce de leche by simmering the unopened can in a pot of water for 2-3 hours. Put the can on its side and make sure its covered with water at all times. Use a regular can-not pop-top. It was delicious, cheap and (almost too) easy.

This is the way South Americans have been making it at home for decades, with no problems.

Frankly, I think the other recipes seem too much work for something you can buy for a few dollars more.

Good luck!!

[gingerly]

just to confuse things-i made a batch by simmering a couple of pull top cans-3hours-gently!turned out pretty good too.

[Yong Tae Kim]

Thank you all for the helpful responses. I found the links to the previous dulce de leche discussions at EGullet very informative.

The sweetened condensed milk products that I can buy here in Korea come in pull-top cans or squeeze bottles.

Taking Gingerly's experience in making dulce de leche from a pull-top can, I will try boiling it with the can lying on its side so that any rupture will not shoot upwards.

Achevres's description of alfajores sounds different from the one I remember eating in Paraguay. Mine is a sandwich made of two corn starch based cookies with a dulce de leche filling and the sides also covered with dulce de leche and rolled in coconut flakes. I guess there are different versions of alfajores in South America.

[achevres]

Just to clarify... the alfajores I made were "real," a cornstarch cookie sandwich filled with dulce de leche, only I made them small. I read about the coconut version but chose not to do it to make them less messy to eat at a party.

Let us know how your alfajores turn out!

[ravum]

I plan to make dulce de leche from a saveur recipe posted earlier on egullet.

Was wondering what the baking soda actually does?

Does it improve texture/flavor/shelf life?

[scott123]

The four most common uses I've seen for baking soda are

1. Leavening

2. Mitigating acidic flavors

3. Creating conditions favorable to browning.

4. Keeping the color of green veggies green during cooking (not recommended)

Without having the recipe in front of me, my best guess would be 3. Creating conditions favorable to browning, as browning occurs faster in an alkaline environment.

[ravum]

This is a link to the recipe

http://www.saveur.com/article.jsp?ID=15254&typeID=120

I didnt know about baking soda helping browning.That seems to be the reason for its use in DDL.

I plan to make it with and without the soda to figure out how much of a difference the soda makes.If it affects browning,it might be quite a bit.

[andiesenji]

I saw this thread yesterday and went over to my neighbor who makes the stuff from scratch. I posted her recipe a few days ago. She says the soda is to keep the mixture from becoming grainy.

[slkinsey]

Interesting. Almost everyone I know who makes dulce de leche simply boils an unopened can of condensed milk.

[andiesenji]

Once you try the traditional stuff you will know why some people like to make it from scratch. There is a world of difference in the product.

Have you ever tried the real stuff that comes in a jar or in little tins?

The flavor is far more complex with a hint of the bitterness one gets with true sugar carmelization.

I used to make the canned stuff but haven't for years. It is really so easy to do it in the crockpot that I would much rather do that. I don't ever want to settle for second best when I know a better product can be obtained with a little more effort.

However that is just old, obsessive me!!!

Edited October 31, 2004 by andiesenji (log)