Dulce de Leche

[Shel_B]

But if you'd prefer to buy it occasionally, I'd suggest you look for Mexican "cajeta." The most readily-available brand in the US is Coronado. I buy it in my local Mexican market for about $4 for a 13-oz jar or squeeze bottle. It's made from goat's milk.

We get ours from Argentina - however, most of the Dulce in stores around here, including the Latino markets, pales by comparison. In fact, Toots won't even consider it. We just got a large tub from Argentina, and even that was poor quality compared to what we usually get.

Making it is the best choice for us these days.

[annachan]

I've had great success using Rick Bayless' recipe for cajeta: http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/view?recipeID=242

I skipped the cinnamon since it isn't a flavor I'm very fond of. It took about 45 minutes to an hour, as I recall. The goat's milk gives it a nice tang, as compare to cow's milk.

[Shel_B]

But if you'd prefer to buy it occasionally, I'd suggest you look for Mexican "cajeta." The most readily-available brand in the US is Coronado. I buy it in my local Mexican market for about $4 for a 13-oz jar or squeeze bottle. It's made from goat's milk.

Coronado Cajeta in a squeeze bottle.

It crossed my mind last night that a squeeze bottle would require a relatively thin product. Yes?

[Shel_B]

There have been several topics posted about this subject.

I posted this recipe a few years ago. It works.

I think I tried your recipe some time ago ... at least I found it in my recipe files. Tks!

[Jaymes]

But if you'd prefer to buy it occasionally, I'd suggest you look for Mexican "cajeta." The most readily-available brand in the US is Coronado. I buy it in my local Mexican market for about $4 for a 13-oz jar or squeeze bottle. It's made from goat's milk.

Coronado Cajeta in a squeeze bottle.

It crossed my mind last night that a squeeze bottle would require a relatively thin product. Yes?

Interesting. My daughter and I have had this chat. I do think it's a little thinner than the jarred variety, but she says she doesn't. So I think that the proper answer is probably, "If so, not much."

We use it for a lot of things where the viscosity doesn't matter much, like on toast, and in quite a few recipes, like Crepas Caramel, Chocolate Flan Cake, Mexican Bananas Foster, Baked Apples, Fruit Shortcakes, and the like. It is really handy to just turn that bottle upside down over a few sliced apples and give it a squeeze. At first, I found the notion of "squeeze cajeta" a little, I don't know, off-putting for some reason I can't quite define. Maybe it is the viscosity. But it's so popular among the Mexicans that I know, and so handy, that for the most part, I've gotten over my reluctance.

I do have one or two recipes that I think are better with the jarred, thicker version. So I seek it out. My daughter says I'm being silly.

Maybe so.

Wouldn't be the first time.

In fact, might even be one of my best qualities.

________________

Edited June 4, 2011 by Jaymes (log)

[andiesenji]

I put it in a syrup dispenser and warm it so it pours easily. As I store it in the fridge, it is always pretty thick.

[Shel_B]

Comments: Yesterday I made the first batch of Dulce de Leche and, for the most part, was disappointed. Here’s what I did:

1 quart of fresh, whole milk

1 1/2 cups sugar (see comments below)

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

I heated the milk on low and skimmed off the skin that formed. After skimming I added the sugar. I used Trader Joe’s Organic white sugar along with about ½ cup of regular granulated white sugar. That’s what I had on hand.

I observed that the TJ’s sugar had larger crystals and was somewhat darker in color, with a slight hint of brown, than the typical supermarket sugar. I wonder if the coarser texture could have affected the sweetness and consistency of the dulce de leche. Might larger crystals mean less sugar per measure, just like when using kosher salt compared to regular table salt?

While after cooking for so long, the sugar seemed to melt into the milk, the consistency of the dessert wasn’t as smooth as I’d hoped even though it was acceptable (except for a few pieces that were over cooked, perhaps scraped from the pan bottom).

I added the baking soda after the sugar dissolved and the milk mixture cooked for a while, about 35-minutes into the process. Several recipes suggested adding the baking soda after cooking for a while, so that’s what I did. The milk-sugar mixture foamed a little and then settled down.

Vanilla extract was added when the cooking process was about 3/4 the way done.

The mixture reduced substantially, and the resulting dessert was only about 1/4 to 1/3 the amount of the original ingredients. That seems like a very large reduction, but not having made the dish before, I don’t know what’s typical.

So, how might the dulce de leche be improved? Using a different sugar seems to be a good idea as the sugar may dissolve better and caramelize quicker. What about the cooking temperature? Low, med-low, or …?

Stirring? I stirred every five minutes or so, sometimes every ten minutes, using a wooden spoon. Enough stirring? Not enough? The entire cooking process was about two hours. Does that seem right?

Any tips from more experienced dulce de leche makers? Thanks!

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Traditional dulce de leche is made using at the very least a Demerrerra sugar if not proper panela raspadura or jaggery (raw crystalized cane pressings).... The higher molasses content of the darker sugars does a couple of things: first off, it carmelizes more roundly and quickly, and second off it imparts a fullness of flavour that you'll never get close to with refined or white sugars.

%0

[Panaderia Canadiense]

.. and it seems that only half of my message posted! How very odd.

My recipe (which is pretty foolproof and produces tasty dulce every time) calls for 1L of full fat milk, 250g of panela, 1 tsp of soda, and 1 tsp of vanilla.

The main difference from the one you used is that the panela is dissolved in the milk before anything is ever heated, and then the vanilla and soda are added also while everything is still cold. On to the heat it goes (high heat) until you reach a nice, "toasted" colour (you'll know it when you see it), and then reduce the heat to minimum and stir constantly for another 10 minutes. After that, place the saucepan into a cold water bath for about 5 minutes and continue stirring (the shocking period is essential - it develops the flavour more), and finally allow it to come to room temperature, remove from the pan, and either eat or pop in the fridge.

The whole shebang takes about 2 to 2.5 hours, but I'm blessed by high altitude and things boil more quickly for me here.

[Jaymes]

.. and it seems that only half of my message posted! How very odd.

My recipe (which is pretty foolproof and produces tasty dulce every time) calls for 1L of full fat milk...

Cow's milk?

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Yes, unless I happen to catch the goat man when the nannies are still full. If I'm using goat's milk, though, I'll generally also add a small knob of butter to the recipe.

[Shel_B]

My recipe (which is pretty foolproof and produces tasty dulce every time) calls for 1L of full fat milk, 250g of panela, 1 tsp of soda, and 1 tsp of vanilla.

The main difference from the one you used is that the panela is dissolved in the milk before anything is ever heated, and then the vanilla and soda are added also while everything is still cold. On to the heat it goes (high heat) until you reach a nice, "toasted" colour (you'll know it when you see it), and then reduce the heat to minimum and stir constantly for another 10 minutes. After that, place the saucepan into a cold water bath for about 5 minutes and continue stirring (the shocking period is essential - it develops the flavour more), and finally allow it to come to room temperature, remove from the pan, and either eat or pop in the fridge.

The whole shebang takes about 2 to 2.5 hours, but I'm blessed by high altitude and things boil more quickly for me here.

OK, Thanks for the ideas. y next batch will use the panela sugar, definitely, and I'll look into incorporating some of your other suggestions as well.

[Shel_B]

I've not been able to find the panela sugar, but can readily get the Piloncillo- Mexican Sugar. Are they similar?

[mkayahara]

When making dulce de leche from fresh milk, is reduction an important part of the process? What would be an approximate yield on a litre of milk?

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Shel - Piloncillo is Panela by another name - sorry about that, I'm used to the Andean South American terms for things. You're good to go!

Mkaya - I get about 250-300 mL (500g or so) of dulce from 1 L of fresh milk using the recipe I posted further up in the thread. Reduction is absolutely an important part of the process.

[Shel_B]

The strangest thing happened - I made a batch of Dulce the other day using Trader Joe's organic sugar - the same sugar I used in a previous batch, and a quart of the same milk that had been used before. The dessert never firmed up, even after refrigeration over night.

The only difference in the way the Dulce was prepared was that I used a little more baking soda and had the heat somewhat higher during the early to middle stages of the process.

Why might the Dulce remained liquid? The milk/sugar mixture reduced to about 12 - 16 ounces. It was very tasty, however, and might make a wonderful ice cream topping ...

Thanks!

[andiesenji]

I have been checking the various links on my blog to see if they are still active.

Clicking on this one brought up this recipe for Banana Pudding Dulce de Leche. It sounds delicious.

It doesn't use much Dulce de Leche, only 3 tablespoons, so I don't really understand why it is so prominent in the title. However, now I have to go out and buy some ripe bananas ( I have a bunch but they are totally green) so I can prepare this interesting dessert.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

One of my favourite banana-dulce de leche recipes is a cream pie combining the two, which was submitted to (and subsequently published in) my magazine. It's absolutely decadent.

[Darienne]

If I show this recipe and photo to my DH, Ed, he will begin hyperventilating. Two of his very favorite things. Together. And lots of them. This sounds like a good birthday dessert for him.

I am not a great banana fan, but your magazine sounds fascinating. My fruit of choice has got to be raspberries.

ps. So ordered for his birthday next Saturday. Thanks.

Edited June 19, 2011 by Darienne (log)

[Darienne]

You can also use the microwave. Pour a can or two in a pyrex pie dish and microwave on low power (30-40%) for fifteen minutes. Stir. Microwave again on low power for another 10-15 minutes. Stir. Microwave again for 10 minutes and stir occasionally as it cools. It might be a bit lumpy at first, but as your stir it will smooth out and get perfectly luscious. This method is fast and pretty foolproof. And not at all scary.

Can it really work? Can it really be reduced to something so simple?

Answer: YES! I just did it. So simple. So neat. So tidy. So quick. So little work. Now Dulce de Leche to put on tonight's ice cream.

Thank you JEB9.

[Darienne]

One of my favourite banana-dulce de leche recipes is a cream pie combining the two, which was submitted to (and subsequently published in) my magazine. It's absolutely decadent.

Question: would this recipe freeze well if made into small tartlets?

Firstly I'll cut the recipe in at least half and then make it in little tart pans. It's a pie which I won't eat and DH doesn't want to be left with the 'responsibility' of eating it all, so I suggested the tart idea. I would think the tarts would freeze well. Any advice, please?

[Panaderia Canadiense]

It should work just fine with freezing - but be sure then in the construction to sprinkle the bananas with a bit of lime juice (or equivalent citrus), otherwise they'll turn black in the freezer. Dulce de Leche takes freezing very well.

[Darienne]

It should work just fine with freezing - but be sure then in the construction to sprinkle the bananas with a bit of lime juice (or equivalent citrus), otherwise they'll turn black in the freezer. Dulce de Leche takes freezing very well.

Thanks, PanCan, for the lemon advice: that should cut the sweetness by a tad. And of course, I was not going to freeze the whipped cream part...but you knew that.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Actually, thinking about how dulce de leche and bananas freeze, you'd probably have a real winner if you topped them off with vanilla or burnt milk ice cream just before freezing. Then you'd get banana-dulce-ice cream tarts, and could eat them without unfreezing them. Muy yummy!

[Kerry Beal]

Total brain fart today - decided to the Banana Pudding DDL linked to by Andi above - started by making a crumb crust - then realized I was in the wrong recipe. So continued - figuring I'd just put the pudding in the crust. Found I had no heavy cream so subbed some mascarpone and a bit more milk. Can't find the bottle of amaretto so put some amaretti cookies on the crust.

So now I've got a banana pudding meringue pie in a crumb crust. Shall take it to work and report back later.