Creativity Pool Forums

I can't understand why is it that only Chile and Argentina have this REALLY great product. It's simply milk and sugar, boiled together in a casserole, stirring constantly for like an hour. Don't try to do it with this indication so poor, but you can do the following:
- Buy a can of condensated sugarated milk (I don't know if you have that in usa, at least in France they have)
- put the can inside a casserole with water (enough water to cover the can completely)
- cover the casserole and boil for 1.5 hours (if you use a pressure casserole, you need only 45 minutes)
then take the can out, let it cool, and then please try the most fabolous sweet milk in the world (in Chile we call it "manjar" (it's like "delicatessen") and in Argentina it's "dulce de leche" (milk sweet)
you can use it to fill cakes, any pastry actually, you can put it in your bread, make ice cream...it's amazing how no one in USA uses it!!!

Reward: If someone do this business, you could call it after me "Josephine's Milksweet"...or maybe I'll just do it myself

When you boil a can of condensed, sweetened milk for a looong time, the sugars inside start to carmalize and after a few hours (I was told to cook mine three hours) and an overnight rest in the fridge, you have a can of the creamiest caramel you've ever tasted. Goes well with ice cream. The HUGE warning is to NOT open it until it is cooled. It will spray molten caramel all over the place.
It may be a delicatessen there but it is caramel here. Good, sweet and rich yes... but still caramel.

Hi Chris, I know what you're talking about but it's not quite caramel, because this thing I'm talking about it's milky, not caramelized (I don't have the less idea if those words are correct, sorry!!), as you see, the boiling time is much less, so the result it's different, because in this one, you don't reach that caramelizing point.
Anyway, is pretty similar, but I think you don't use it the way we do. I would love to send you some, but you know, with all the food controls, I don't think they would let it in. (I insist, maybe I'll do the business sometime, now that we have a "free commerce treat" or whatever you call those).
But pleeeease boil it less time and taste the difference, then you tell me how it went!!
Thanks anyway!!
Josefina

I was thinking...I called it "delicatessen", but it's just like a literal translation of the word manjar, but the real name is actually "dulce de leche" (milk sweet or sweet milk or if you prefer, milk caramel! that could be a good name!!!).
But maybe it's caramel (hopefully not like the one offered in a mcdonalds or burger king!), but I think it doesn't have the same popularity as here!!

If you reduce condensed milk, you get the best caramel ever. The sugars are slightly carmelized, just not nearly as much as a regular caramel.
Condensed milk: A mixture of whole milk and sugar. ( 50% sugar) and heated until 60% of the water is evaporated.

I think it's a matter of opinion if it's better milky or caramelised, but the great thing is that it's easy to make and tastes great!