Heavenly Danger
August 5, 2008
Over a month ago when I said I would attempt NaBloPoMo yet again, mainly because it was about food (and I am serious about food!) I made a list of things I wanted to make by month's end, but with the exception of pizza dough I more or less failed miserably. I did manage to cook quite a bit, documenting it though, was another story. First off I do not own a proper camera so getting decent shots are always few and far between. Secondly, I am horrible at remembering to take photos before diving into dinner. Remembering after yes, but never before.
But today I had to share what I made, even though I am resenting not having a decent camera to get a good quality shot. It's one of the things I had on my previous list: Dulce De Leche.
Dulce De Leche is practically effortless, with the exception of devoting time to babysit it while it boils away in the pan. There are various methods of making it but I went with the easiest and supposedly more 'dangerous' version of simply covering a can of sweetened condensed milk with water and boiling it for hours on end--I say dangerous because there are apparent rumours of cans exploding. I did not have this problem but I was sure to keep my cans covered with water at all times and let them cool before I opened them. (Actually, I dumped half a bag of ice in the pot to help speed up the cooling because I was too impatient to see if it had worked, so the whole cooling part is only a half-truth. The caramel did sort of spurt out the top when I pierced the can, but nothing close to what I would call an explosion. Regardless, just make sure they aren't HOT and things should be fine.)
I wanted to make thick spreadable dulce de leche so I boiled my cans for 4 hours turning them upside down halfway through. (And I use the term 'boiled' loosely, I don't think the water ever broke a simmer.) Less time is said to give you a more syrupy like consistency but I wouldn't recommend anything less then 2 hours because you want the sugars in the milk to caramelize and turn golden.
But today I had to share what I made, even though I am resenting not having a decent camera to get a good quality shot. It's one of the things I had on my previous list: Dulce De Leche.
Dulce De Leche is practically effortless, with the exception of devoting time to babysit it while it boils away in the pan. There are various methods of making it but I went with the easiest and supposedly more 'dangerous' version of simply covering a can of sweetened condensed milk with water and boiling it for hours on end--I say dangerous because there are apparent rumours of cans exploding. I did not have this problem but I was sure to keep my cans covered with water at all times and let them cool before I opened them. (Actually, I dumped half a bag of ice in the pot to help speed up the cooling because I was too impatient to see if it had worked, so the whole cooling part is only a half-truth. The caramel did sort of spurt out the top when I pierced the can, but nothing close to what I would call an explosion. Regardless, just make sure they aren't HOT and things should be fine.)
I wanted to make thick spreadable dulce de leche so I boiled my cans for 4 hours turning them upside down halfway through. (And I use the term 'boiled' loosely, I don't think the water ever broke a simmer.) Less time is said to give you a more syrupy like consistency but I wouldn't recommend anything less then 2 hours because you want the sugars in the milk to caramelize and turn golden.
Dulce De Leche - The 'Danger' Method
1. Place a can or cans (you may as well do a bunch) of sweetened condensed milk in sauce pan or stockpot deep enough to cover tops with at least an inch of water.
2. Bring water to a low boil and continue to simmer for 3-4 hours depending on desired consistency, making sure to add boiling water to pot in order to keep tops of cans covered.
3. Allow cans to cool before opening. Empty into a bowl or dish and whisk until smooth. Store unused dulce de leche in a covered container in the refrigerator.
