Dulce de Leche

  Posted on June 10, 2011  by Leslie Blythe  No comments

Heaven in a can!

Dulce de leche is a delicious caramel-like candy made from milk and sugar that’s popular in many South American countries. It’s called confiture de lait in French, and doce de leite in Portuguese.  No matter what your language, this is a tasty treat to spread on toast, layer into pies and ice cream, or eat straight, one spoonful at any time.

Typically, it is boiled on the stove top in the can.  There’s a small possibility of explosion when you cook a can. This risk can be greatly reduced by making sure that the can is covered with water at all times.   I have attached the oven method to reduce the risk!

Dulce de Leche

Preheat the oven to 425° F.

Pour one 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk) into a glass pie plate or shallow baking dish. Stir in a few flecks of sea salt.

Set the pie plate within a larger pan, such as a roasting pan, and add hot water until it reaches halfway up the side of the pie plate.

Cover the pie plate snugly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 to 1¼ hours. (Check a few times during baking and add more water to the roasting pan as necessary).

Once the Dulce de Leche is nicely browned and caramelized, remove from the oven and let cool. Once cool, whisk until smooth.

Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Warm gently in a warm water bath or microwave oven before using.