Master Making Dulce De Leche With These Tips

Dulce de leche, which means "sweet of milk" in Spanish, is a rich, creamy dessert that tastes similar to caramel. It can be spread easily and is much thicker than drizzle-ready caramel sauce, which is why wafer cookies, churros, and cakes are common dishes to utilize it as a filler or topping. It is popular in Peru, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, and the Caribbean.

Dulce de leche is created by gently boiling milk and sugar together, stirring constantly until the liquid browns. It is also known as caramelized milk or milk jam in English. In certain recipes, baking soda is added to speed up cooking and keep the mixture from becoming bitter. Other ingredients include vanilla bean seeds or essence. The milk becomes thicker as it warms up because much of the moisture evaporates. The Maillard reaction, which is the chemical process that gives food its distinctive browning—whether it's a seared steak or toasted marshmallow—causes the sweet milk to caramelize and deepen in color.

Sweetened condensed milk (yes, the same stuff that makes Vietnamese iced coffee so great) is a shortcut used by many home chefs since producing dulce de leche the old-fashioned way is a labor-intensive and time-consuming process. To get dulce de leche, it still has to simmer for two to three hours (less than an hour in the Instant Pot).

Canned dulce de leche, already caramelized and ready to consume, is the easiest substitute. It will taste as delicious as if you prepared it from scratch as long as genuine sugar is used in place of corn syrup.

The History Of Dulce De Leche

A multitude of theories exist. There are several accounts that link this delicacy to Argentina in the 1800s. According to legend, a maid who worked for politician Juan Manuel de Rosas was preparing milk and sugar when she was summoned away from the stove. When she came back a little while later, she saw that her mixture had thickened into a dark spread. (It turns out that the conference records between de Rosas and a political opponent contain the earliest known historical reference to dulce de leche.)

Another account attributes the fortunate incident to Napoleon Bonaparte's cook. On the other hand, historian Daniel Balmaceda claims that dulce de leche originated in Indonesia much earlier, in the 16th century. According to the notion, the confection arrived in the Philippines and was then carried back to Spain and the Americas by Spanish colonists.

Dulce De Leche Vs. Caramel

Caramel sauce and dulce de leche have striking similarities in appearance and flavor. Actually, in certain recipes, you may use them interchangeably. However, there is a slight distinction between them; the following will help you identify it:

A deep amber hue and a rich aroma are produced by caramelizing granulated sugar at extremely high heat to create caramel. You've definitely had some experience with caramel sauce, which is what it becomes when combined with other creamy ingredients like heavy cream or half-and-half.

Sweet milk is heated to create a rich, viscous sauce, dulce de leche. Sweetened condensed milk is commonly used in home kitchen preparation. It is heated slowly and at a moderate temperature, unlike caramel, which is heated fast at a high temperature.

Tips To Make The Best Dulce De Leche At Home

Here's how you can make the best dulce de leche from the comfort of your kitchen:

Use Canned Sweetened Condensed Milk

In order to shorten the cooking time, use canned sweetened condensed milk. To avoid the can from rupturing or blowing up, keep an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk completely submerged in the boiling water and top it over with hot water as needed. The milk can be opened once it has cooled to room temperature and simmered in water for two hours. Remove the can using tongs.

Reduce Its Thickness

If you want to use dulce de leche as a garnish for cheesecake or ice cream, you might need to smooth it out over some simmering water because it can thicken as it cools. Using a double-boiler, create a water bath. In a saucepan, warm a few teaspoons of dulce de leche over the boiling water. To loosen, occasionally stir the mixture.

Use A Bain-Marie To Bake It

If you choose not to use the stovetop-can technique, you can use an oven bain-marie to bake the dulce. Just pour it into a pie plate and shield it from direct heat with aluminum foil. The pie plate should then be placed inside a roasting pan and baked. After adding boiling water to the roasting pan, bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours.

Keep Excess Dulce De Leche In Airtight Containers

Any remaining dulce de leche should be kept in an airtight container that is sealed, such as a glass Mason jar, whether it is prepared or comes from a can. You may keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Dulce De Leche Recipe

Here's how you can prepare dulce de leche at home:

Ingredients

• 1 can (14 oz) of sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

• To keep the sweetened condensed milk can's label from peeling off while it boils, remove it.
• To guarantee consistent cooking, place the unopened can in a saucepan and completely submerge it in water, at least one to two inches deep.
• Based on the required thickness, cook the can for two to three hours by bringing the water to a boil and then lowering the heat to a simmer.
• To keep the can immersed during the simmering process, check the water level frequently and add more as necessary.
• Using tongs, carefully remove the can from the pot, letting it cool to room temperature before handling.
• The dulce de leche is caramelized and velvety when you open the chilled can.