Dulce de leche is as rich, sweet, and decadent as it gets. But what exactly is the amber-colored confection — and how do you make it at home? Here's what you need to know:
What Is Dulce de Leche?
Dulce de leche, which literally means "candy made from milk," is a thick and sugary caramel-like sauce that's made by slowly heating sweet milk. The Latin American confection is found in desserts like cakes, cookies, and flan. It's also often used as an ice cream topping or spread for toast or crepes.
Dulce de Leche vs. Caramel
Caramel sauce and dulce de leche look and taste extremely similar. In fact, they can be interchangeable in certain recipes. But they're not quite the same thing — here's how to tell the difference:
Caramel is made by caramelizing granulated sugar over very high heat until it becomes a deep amber color and gives off a rich scent. When it's mixed with creamy ingredients like half-and-half or heavy cream, it becomes caramel sauce (an ingredient you probably have some experience with).
Dulce de leche, meanwhile, is made by heating sweet milk until it becomes a thick, rich sauce. It's often made in home kitchens using sweetened condensed milk. Unlike caramel, which is heated quickly at high heat, dulce de leche is heated low and slow.
It's impossible to pinpoint the exact origins of dulce de leche, but there are a few theories. According to one popular legend, Napoleon's cook accidentally created it in 1804 by heating milk and sugar for too long. Another story alleges that it was actually a maid of Argentinian politician Juan Manuel de Rosas who mistakenly invented the sweet treat.
Some people believe that dulce de leche was actually born in Indonesia before making its way to the Philippines. According to this theory, after the Spanish conquered the Philippines, they brought the recipe to the Americas.
How to Make Dulce de Leche
It couldn't be easier to make dulce de leche at home — you will need to break out your tool box, though. Just follow these easy steps:
Gather your supplies. You'll need a closed can of sweetened condensed milk, a nail, a hammer, a saucepan, and water.
Using the hammer and the nail, make two holes in the lid of the can. Place the upright can in the saucepan. Pour in enough water to reach up the sides of the can, but don't pour enough to completely submerge the can. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce heat to low.
Allow the water to simmer for three to four hours. Add more water as it boils down.
When the sweetened condensed milk has thickened and is a dark amber color, remove the lid, pour it into a bowl, and whisk away any lumps.
Put your homemade dulce de leche to good use with one of these decadent recipes:
Dulce De Leche Bars
"A creamy center fills a shortbread-like buttery crust with a crumble-pecan coconut topping," according to recipe creator Cori. "This is a favorite with my family, boyfriend and at my workplace (a bakery!)."
"A moist and gooey chocolate brownie with pockets of dulce de leche inside and caramel on top," says recipe creator Roxybc. "Truly amazing! If you have enough willpower, try and leave them overnight. They are even better and more moist the next day."
"This classic moist Mexican cake is soaked in three different milks, but this one comes with a twist: It has an extra layer of dulce de leche," says recipe creator Fioa.
Dulce de leche, meanwhile, is made by heating sweet milk until it becomes a thick, rich sauce. It's often made in home kitchens using sweetened condensed milk. Unlike caramel, which is heated quickly at high heat, dulce de leche is heated low and slow.
Caramel and dulce de leche might look and taste somewhat similar, but they are actually pretty different. While caramel is made from slowly simmering water and sugar until it caramelizes, dulce de leche is made from simmering milk and sugar super slowly until it turns into a creamy, caramelized substance.
Technically, if you see dulce de leche in a recipe, you can instead use caramel, and vice-versa. However, there will be a slight variance in taste and texture, and the recipe will no longer be authentic to the specified region. That is why we always recommend differentiating between dulce de leche and caramel.
“The difference between condensed milk and dulce de leche is the caramelization of the sugars that are both added and part of milk,” Sibley says. “Typically, condensed milk remains white and has a lighter consistency and taste than dulce de leche.
Primarily it's a dessert and baking ingredient, but it can also be eaten on its own just with a spoon! Dulce de leche is often paired with ice cream, spread on bread, and used to fill cookies and cakes.
You could say that cajeta (pronounced kah-Heh-tah) is Mexican Spanish for what other Latin American countries call dulce de leche. The word means “little box,” which is what the confection was stored in back in the 1500s.
Butterscotch is made from cooking down brown sugar with butter, and its flavor is sweeter and softer than that of caramel.Dulce de leche is made from slowly cooking cow milk and sugar together. Dulce de leche made with goat milk is known as cajeta.
Just about every regular grocery store in my area stocks it, usually in the baking aisle near the sweetened condensed milk. If you can't find it in your local store, check out a Mexican grocery store or a specialty foods store, like Williams-Sonoma. You can also find different brands online, if you do a quick search.
Why add baking soda to the sauce? The baking soda will help with the reactions necessary to make the sauce thick and dark, with a rich taste. As you cook the milk and sugar together, water will evaporate, making the solution more acidic, and proteins will begin to coagulate.
The oven method consists of baking the sweetened condensed milk over a water bath. The dulce de leche turns out a bit lumpy, and not as thick since you can't cook it too much to prevent any further scorching and burning. It is however, a safe and reliable method.
The answer is easy, actually. As we know, caramel is simply water and sugar. On the other hand, dulce de leche is, as the name implies (if you've brushed up on your Spanish), milk and sugar.
Dulce de leche (Spanish: [ˈdulse ðe ˈletʃe, ˈdulθe]), caramelized milk, milk candy, or milk jam is a confectionery popular in Latin America, France, Poland, and the Philippines prepared by slowly heating sugar and milk over several hours.
Dulce de Leche is a popular caramel sauce from South America, which literally translates as 'sweet milk'. It is made from two main ingredients – fresh milk and sugar – to create a rich and indulgent tasting sauce.
Spanish dulce de leche and Portuguese doce de leite mean "sweet [made] of milk". Other names in Spanish include manjarblanco ("delicacy"), arequipe and leche quemada ("burnt milk", a term popular in Mexico); also in Mexico and some Central American countries dulce de leche made with goat's milk is called 'cajeta'.
I am talking about dulce de leche, that marvelously brown, gooey, rich syrup made from sweetened condensed milk. It is a staple of South American cuisines and in ethnic markets you can buy it by the jar.
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