Dulce de Leche in crockpot
Dulce de Leche was always too time consuming to make until I found a recipe in Slow Cooker Cooking by Lora Brody. I will added jars of this to my holiday gift baskets this year. It is simply milk cooked until thickened like jam and it is good as a topping for most any dessert.
1 vanilla bean, split
1 quart whole milk
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup bottled water
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Here is where Brody’s expertise is applied.
Place the vanilla bean, 3 cups of milk, sugar, water and baking soda in slow cooker. Cook 9 hours uncovered, then remove the vanilla bean and whick milk gently. Using a flexible spatula scrape down the crust of sugar accumulated on the sides; do not skim the foam off the top. Continue cooking for 1more hour, stirring every 15 minutes until it turns caramel color and is the consistency of ice cream. Warm the remaining cup of milk. Turn off the cooker and stir in the warm milk. This will prevent hardening when refrigerated. Allow to cool and pour into sturdy ice-box containers with tight fitting lids. Will store refrigerated for up to 3 months. May serve warm or cold. To warm, place desired amount in a container in the top of a double boiler and heat over boiling water.