This Dulce de Leche recipe is a confection from Latin America prepared by slowly heating sweetened milk to create a substance that derives its flavor from the Maillard reaction, also changing color. Dulce de leche is Spanish for “candy made of milk”.
Arequipe (Dulce de Leche)
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Ingredients
- 8 cups fresh milk
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp baking soda
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients in a pot over medium heat, stir until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to low.
- Continue cooking until the milk has reduced and begins to thicken, the color will begin to change from a creamy beige to a caramel hue – it will take between 2 ½ hours and 3 hours for the dulce de leche to be ready.
- During the first hour and a half, you will have to stir from time to time to prevent the milk from overflowing and sticking. During the last hour, you have to stir constantly and be careful so that it does not burn.
- Dulce de leche can be served hot or cold and should be kept refrigerated.
Notes
In Colombia they call dulce de leche “arequipe”. In Mexico, it’s called “cajeta”, and in Perú, Chile and Bolivia it is called “manjar blanco”. But it really doesn’t matter what you call it; arequipe is one of those amazing sweet treats that not only goes with almost everything, it is also really easy to make.
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