I’ve been running up and down the stairs a lot this afternoon–I’m making dulce de leche for the first time and am trying to watch the pot and the computer screen at the same time.
This is not only pure, dulce de leche (milk, sugar, baking soda, recipe to follow) without the corn syrup that is found in every commercial product I’ve ever seen here, but this is pure, dulce de leche made with milk, fresh from the farm. I’m imagining this is just about as authentic dulce de leche gets when made by a Canadian home cook.
I discovered a profound love for the stuff on a trip to Argentina a few years ago. While there was a lot of commercial, corn syrup product there too, I had the chance to taste some of the real stuff. In a bakery kitty-corner to the apartment we rented in the nice neighbourhood called Recoleta in Buenos Aires, they made the most exquisite desserts with dulce de leche. Alfajores–small cookie and dulce de leche sandwiches. Croissants stuffed with dulce de leche. A cake (can’t remember its name) made of thin meringue circles layered with dulce de leche. The stuff was smooth and rich and delicious.
Yum.
The recipe for dulce de leche I used today:
5 cups of milk (lots of cream on top)
1.8 cups of sugar
a tiny bit of baking soda
It’s simmering down now. Let’s hope it thickens and makes a lovely caramel soon.
UPDATE: It worked! I made 2 jam pots worth of golden, delicious caramel.