Easy Dulce de Leche or Condensed Milk Caramel - 2 methods

Dulce de leche - the most indulgent form of Caramel has so many uses.  There are 2 ways to make this superb caramel made from a can of condensed milk. You can boil a can in a saucepan for 3 hours or do it in a slow cooker.

As a can of Dulce de leche will happily keep unopened in the pantry for months (as if!), I like to do a big batch – 4-6 cans at a time. The slow cooker is ideal as can hold more without boiling dry. and I don’t have to listen to the cans clattering in a saucepan for hours. For one two cans a deep saucepan is fine. The end result is the same whichever method you choose. I love Dulche de Leche slathered on waffles with sliced banana and whipped cream but however you serve it, make more than one can! You can store unopened cans in the pantry. If stored for a long time you may find a bit of crystallisation takes place, we still eat it anyway.

Ingredients

• 1 or more cans of condensed milk, un opened

Saucepan method :

Place a rag or cloth on the base of the saucepan, position the unopened cans on top of the cloth – this reduces the rattling noise, it’s not essential to the cooking.
Cover the cans completely with water and bring to the boil, simmer uncovered for 3 hours. Keep the water topped up so the cans stay submerged.

Slow cooker method:

Place unopened cans in the slow cooker, cover with water, put the lid on and cook on high power for 5 hours.

Tip

Don’t attempt to make caramel by placing cans in the embers of a bonfire. I am sure you wouldn’t even think of this, my sister and her friend however did. The cans exploded in the middle of the night showering the historic wooden homestead they were staying in and a several kilometres of the surrounding parched farmland with embers and sticky caramel.