Dulce de leche

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A jar of dulce de leche

Dulce de leche (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈdulʃe ðe ˈletʃe]; Portuguese: doce de leite, IPA: [ˈdosi dʒi ˈlejtʃi])
Literally translated, dulce de leche means "sweet of milk" or better "sweet [made] of milk" or "milk's sweet", meaning "milk jam" (in the same way that "dulce de frutilla" is strawberry jam, for example). It is prepared by slowly heating sweetened milk to create a product that derives its taste from caramelised sugar. It is a popular sweet in Latin America, where it is known under a variety of names. In Chile, Ecuador and Panama, it is known as manjar. In Peru, Colombia and Venezuela, it is referred to as manjar blanco or arequipe, depending on regional variations. In Mexico, it is commonly called cajeta but made from goat's milk. It is also found in Brazil, known by its Portuguese name doce de leite.
A French version, known as confiture de lait, is very similar to the spreadable forms of dulce de leche. A Norwegian version, Hamar-pålegg ("Hamar spread"), better known as HaPå, is a relatively thick and not so sweet commercial variant.

 Preparation and uses

The most basic recipe calls for slowly simmering milk and sugar, stirring almost constantly, although other ingredients may be included to achieve special properties. Much of the water in the milk evaporates and the mix thickens; the resulting dulce de leche is usually about a sixth of the volume of the milk used. The transformation that occurs in preparation is caused by a combination of two common browning reactions called caramelization and the Maillard reaction.^[1]

A home-made form of dulce de leche is sometimes made by boiling an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk for two to three hours (or 30 to 45 minutes in a pressure cooker), particularly by those living in countries where it cannot be bought ready-made. It is dangerous to do this on a stove: if the pot is allowed to boil dry, the can will overheat and explode.^[2]
Dulce de leche is used to flavor candies or other sweet foods, such as cakes, cookies (see alfajor), or ice creams (Argentina, Uruguay, and recently introduced in Spain and the USA), as well as crème caramel (flan in Spanish and Portuguese). It provides the "toffee" part of English Banoffee pie. It is also popular spread on pancakes and toast. French confiture de lait is commonly served with fromage blanc; a Dutch variety (really, a caramel paste), marketed as Bebogeen, is a children's favorite on bread.
A solid candy made from dulce de leche, similar to the Polish krówki and named Vaquita (little cow), was manufactured by the Mu-Mu factory in Argentina until the company went out of business in 1984 (as a consequence of financial speculation by its owners).^{[citation needed]} Subsequently, other brands began to manufacture similar candies, giving them names such as "Vauquita" and "Vaquerita" in an effort to link their products to the original.
In 1997, the ice cream company Häagen-Dazs introduced a dulce de leche-flavored ice cream; in the same year^[3], Starbucks began offering dulce de leche-flavored coffee products.^[4] In the early part of 2009, Girl Scouts of the USA introduced dulce de leche flavored cookies as part of their annual cookie sales program.^{[5][citation needed]}
A similar recipe is used to prepare basundi in India. It is like a less condensed dulce de leche, flavoured with cardamom and is eaten as dessert. The Philippines also has dulce de leche, where it is usually paired with cakes or breakfast rolls. Like in other places, it has also found its way into other desserts such as cakes and ice cream.
This is also known in Russia as boiled concentrated milk (the Russian equivalent of sweetened condensed milk).

Dulce de leche (pronounced "DOOL-se de LE-che," meaning candy of milk or milk candy in Spanish) is a rich and decadent sauce or syrup, similar in flavor to caramel. Unlike caramel, however, which is made by heating sugar, dulce de leche is prepared by heating sweetened condensed milk. Dulce de leche is especially common in the desserts of various South American countries, including Argentina and Uruguay.

To make this sauce on your own, the process is simple but can take a long time. This article will outline various ways to make this creamy, wonderfully sweet, and silky smooth treat.


***Anekdot
Pada tahun 1990 di rumah sewa Jalan Raja Muda Musa, Kampung Baru ketika itu saya masih anak dara lagi he he he, rakan sebilik saya Rozita telah mendapat resipi ini yang kami panggil SERI KAYA.
Saya yang membuatnya iaitu dengan merebus tin susu pekat manis (susu pekat masih di dalamnya) selama 6 jam dengan menambah air rebusan berulang kali. Setelah sejuk baru saya buka penutupnya.
Hasilnya, warna susu menjadi lebih gelap seperti warna seri kaya. Hari ini baharu saya sedar 'benda' ini memang wujud. Seingat saya, percubaan kami dahulu itu hanya untuk membuat SERI KAYA.
Rozita mendapat resipi daripada seorang rakan sepejabatnya Wisma JKR. Di mana ITA sekarang?