Best Twenty Four Hour Cajeta Dulce De Leche By Rick Bayless Recipes

TWENTY-FOUR HOUR CAJETA (DULCE DE LECHE) BY RICK BAYLESS

Steps:

• Dissolve baking soda in the tablespoon of water. Set aside.
• Pour the milk into the slow cooker. Whisk in the sugar. Add the cinnamon stick and the dissolved baking soda. Stir well.
• Turn slow cooker on high and cook, uncovered, for 24 hours, but see next step before leaving it alone that long.
• After about 18 hours, the cajeta will have darkened into light golden brown. That's when to keep an eye on it. Stir from time to time to make sure it cooks evenly.
• When it is noticeably thick and richly golden, test a couple of drops on a cold plate. The cooled cajeta should be the consistency of caramel sauce. If still a little runny, cook longer until it reaches consistency.
• When cajeta is ready, strain through fine mesh into a bowl or wide mouth storage jar.
• It will keep for a month or more, covered, in the refrigerator. But who could possibly leave it for a month? You'll be wanting to put it on everything!

REAL MEXICAN CAJETA (GOAT'S MILK CARAMEL OR DULCE DE LECHE)

Steps:

• In a large, heavy pot (not iron), combine the milk, sugar, and vanilla, and place over medium heat. Stir regularly until the milk comes to a simmer and sugar is dissolved. Remove the pot from the heat and add dissolved baking soda; it will bubble up at this point, especially with goat's milk. When the bubbles have subsided, return it to the heat.
• Adjust heat so that the mixture is simmering briskly but not boiling. Cook, stirring regularly, until the mixture turns pale golden, about one hour.
• You will now need to stir the milk more regularly as it begins to thicken and turns a caramel-brown color. Don't allow the milk to stick to the bottom of the pot. You can drop a few drops into a small glass of water. If a soft ball forms, the cajeta is ready.
• If you take the pot off the heat and allow the cajeta to cool, it should be a medium-thick sauce. If it's too thick, add hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time until it is the proper consistency. If it is too thin, return to the heat until it thickens.
• When the cajeta is cool, remove the vanilla bean. Strain the cajeta through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl or wide-mouthed jar, then scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the cajeta. Refrigerate until ready to use. Cajeta is best served warm.

CARAMELIZED MILK (CAJETA OR DULCE DE LECHE)

Steps:

• Empty the sweetened condensed milk into a large microwave safe bowl.
• Microwave on medium power for two minutes and stir with a wire whisk.
• Microwave on medium power for another two minutes and stir.
• Return to the microwave for 16 to 24 minutes on medium-low power or until milk turns thick and caramel color, stirring every few minutes.
• Be careful, this will get very hot.
• Let cool and serve over pancakes, toast, etc.