Dulce De Leche From Scratch Recipes

DULCE DE LECHE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease or spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan.
• In 1-quart saucepan, heat butter over medium heat 4 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, just until golden brown. Remove from heat. Cool 15 minutes.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, browned butter, water, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes (brown flecks from butter will appear in batter). Pour into pan.
• Bake as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat dulce de leche and cream cheese with electric mixer on high speed about 2 minutes or until blended and smooth. Beat in whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Spread frosting over cooled cake. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until serving. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

HOMEMADE DULCE DE LECHE

Steps:

• Classic menthod:
• Stir together 4 cups milk, 1 1/4 cups sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and thickened, about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. (After about an hour, stir more often as milk caramelizes, to avoid burning.) Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
• Sweetened condensed milk method:
• Heat oven to 425°F with rack in middle. Pour the contents of 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate and cover tightly with foil. Set plate in a roasting pan and add enough hot water to pan to reach halfway up pie plate. Bake milk in middle of oven 45 minutes. Check water level and add additional, if necessary, then continue to bake 45 minutes more, or until milk is thick and brown. Remove pie plate from water bath and cool, uncovered. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

DULCE DE LECHE

Steps:

• Combine the milk, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds in a large, 4-quart saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the baking soda and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered at a bare simmer. Stir occasionally, but do not re-incorporate the foam that appears on the top of the mixture. Continue to cook for 1 hour. Remove the vanilla bean after 1 hour and continue to cook until the mixture is a dark caramel color and has reduced to about 1 cup, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a month.

MANJAR (DULCE DE LECHE) FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Bring milk, sugar, and vanilla extract to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking, and continuously stirring until the milk has thickened and turned a caramel color, about 1 hour or more.
• Stir in baking soda. Continue cooking until the caramelized milk has reached a pudding consistency. Pour manjar into a bowl and cool completely in the refrigerator.

DULCE DE LECHE (FROM SCRATCH!)

Steps:

• In a large, heavy pan with tall sides (I'd recommend a stock pot), combine the milk and sugar.
• Split the vanilla bean along its length and scrape the seeds into the pot, then throw in the pod. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
• When it has reached a simmer, remove from the heat and add the baking soda and water, stirring vigorously.
• When the mixture settles down, return the pan to the heat and bring to a brisk simmer.
• Simmer for about one hour, or until it turns golden brown. You don't have to stir constantly. I worked around the kitchen and stirred it every once in a while.
• After the milk mixture has changed to a deep golden brown check it more frequently. This is where you can decide just how dense and thick you want it to be.
• If you want it pourable, like caramel sauce, wait just until it reaches the consistency of maple syrup - about 20 minutes after the color change - and take it off the heat.
• Strain through a mesh strainer into a glass jar or container and let cool. To make the ice cream, I removed the amount the recipe called for at this stage.
• If you prefer a jam-like consistency to spread on toast, crackers, and anything else you can think of, let it cook longer.
• To make the candy, keep simmering and stir the mixture constantly.
• Once it's the consistency you want, remove from heat.
• Let it cool a bit and then mold it into whatever shapes you'd like.
• Cool candy on wax paper.