Actually, the obsession is getting totally sweeted out. You would be too, if you tried to make 3 batches of Dulce de Leche in a week. I had to make three, because the first two didn't work out for me. I had the thought to look online for a slow-cooker recipe for Dulce de Leche (DDL). There were recipes (methods, really) online! I was excited to try it out. 
The first recipe I attempted called for 4 cups of milk, 1 1/2 cups of sugar, and a pinch of baking soda. The milk remained mostly white all day, even after cooking for longer than specified. It thickened a little. Finally, I got so tired of waiting for it that I just put it in a jar in the fridge. In the morning, I realized that I had made sweetened condensed milk in the slow cooker, not dulce de leche. So I used the David Lebovitz method I mentioned earlier, here, to make it into Dulce de Leche, and it was pretty good. It has that distinct DDL taste, but the texture (solid but not really smooth) could use some help.I wanted to try making true DDL in the slow cooker, so I tried a second time, with a new recipe, calling for 4 cups of milk, 2 cups of sugar, and a teaspoon of baking soda. I figured, hey, since the other one hardly browned at all, and I was impatient waiting for it, I'd cook it in the slow cooker overnight. Well, that was a mistake. In the morning, I awoke to a burned, foaming mass. I cooled it, blended it, and jarred it. It didn't really taste like DDL and it got terribly gritty after being stored in the fridge for just a few days. The grittiness is kind of gross- I'm not sure what to do with it all.
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For my third attempt, I used the same recipe as the second attempt, but I tried it during daylight hours, so I could keep an eye on it. It started foaming and turning brown around the 7-8 hour mark. It thickened a little too, but it didn't get so thick that it solidified in the fridge, like the canned Dulce de Leche. It has a way better flavor than the second batch, and the texture isn't gritty. I'm glad I was able to make Dulce de Leche from scratch, and not have to stand at the stove forever, but..... I prefer the taste and texture of Dulce de Leche made from a can of sweetened condensed milk better. (Blushing) I have yet to make it from scratch on the stove, and I do want to try that out sometime. Not for a long, long time, though. We have enough Dulce de Leche to last us quite a while!
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Slow Cooker Dulce de Leche
from grouprecipes.com
-4 cups (1 liter) whole cow's milk
-2 cup (500mL) fine granulated white sugar
-1 vanilla bean, split in two OR 1 tsp vanilla extract
-1 tsp baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) -- this is needed for a complete browning--google "Maillard reaction"
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1. Add all ingredients to slow cooker, whisking well to dissolve the sugar.
2. Cook UNCOVERED! on high about 10 hours. (I whisked occasionaly). Stir and scrape the sides during the last few hours. Let cool about 30 minutes.
3. When finished, put in wide-mouthed jars or other sealed container and store in the fridge until use.
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To deal with that site stealing you content, I was told to change your site feed. Try that and we'll see what happens tomorrow. I just changed mine to short.
ReplyDeleteWow you totally rock for trying this out! I honeslty had no idea you could even make it yourself,let alone in a crockpot!! thats so neat. I need to chase down some condensed milk to make some..
ReplyDeleteI commend you for being so persistent! Thanks for doing the experimenting for us. :)
ReplyDeleteCan I talk you into trying the boiling a can sweetened condensed milk method? Seriously, I have tried the oven version and the boiling version. The boiling version is the best, in my opinion! So easy!
Bethany- I saw a method where you submerge a can in the crockpot and cook that for a while- maybe that will be my next try!
ReplyDeleteHey, check out that scraper site today. By shortening what people get for my feed limited them to only posting a few sentences and no recipes or pictures.
ReplyDeleteYes, Dishy, thank you for doing the DDL experimentation and sharing it with us. You've inspired me to make it too. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this recipe, I'm interested in making a bigger batch. Does this method work if I double/triple the amounts listed?
ReplyDeleteWhat a great, informative post, Dishy! I read this with keen interest, since my first & only attempt was delicious but too thin. I'm glad to know you prefer the caramelized canned version and that you did my experimenting with "the real thing" for me. ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks guys- it was fun!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, I'm not sure if it would work for a bigger recipe. I was wondering that myself, but didn't try it. It makes about 2 cups for me. I guess the only way to know is to try it out! Maybe it'd take a longer cooking time.