Eat...dulce de leche

This one is for Jerome and Denis...here is my super easy (but time consuming) recipe for dulce de leche!

Dulce de leche is a South American milk caramel that is made from sweetened condensed milk. When I was in Argentina, I found the locals smothering this on medialunas for a sugar charged breakfast, in crepes for dessert and as a filling for yummy traditional cookies called alfajores (If you are going to Buenos Aires, stop by Havana Cafe to buy multiple boxes of these cookies. Don't share.)

Feeling nostalgic and in need of a treat...I discovered this fool proof way to make your own dulce de leche without slaving over a hot stove stirring away. This is a good thing to make in advance; pop in a movie while you are waiting for it to transform.

You will need:

1 can of sweetened condensed milk such as Eagle Brand
1 heavy medium sized soup pot with a well fitting lid
1 electric or stove top kettle
3 hours to hang out...

Method:

1. Remove label from can and place in pot, unopened. Fill pot with water to cover can by just about 1 cm.
2. Bring water to a boil and set timer for 25 minutes. When the timer goes off, boil a kettle of water and add boiling water to pot, as needed to restore original water levels. If the water level gets too low - it, and your pot will explode. Bad news.
3. Repeat step 2 five more times, for a total boiling time of 3 hours.
4. After 3 hours, remove pot from heat and replace water with lukewarm tap water and allow to cool for 1 hour.
5. Move can with an oven mitt if still hot and place in fridge for 2 + hours.

DO NOT attempt to open can until it is completely cold otherwise you will burn yourself as the dulce de leche spits out when you try to open the can. Believe me. It hurt and I learned my lesson.

Serve dulce de leche with sliced banana and apple as a great dessert. This makes an easy potluck option as all you have to do is open the can, scoop out and cut up some fruit.