Making Dulce de Leche : Its Easier Than you Think

Happy Sunday to you! Last week I offered to help you get through the next few weeks with some helpful hints that will ease the planning, preparing and overall STRESS that goes into the holiday season.

Today I’m going to introduce you to the simplest and most cost-effective way to make homemade Dulce de Leche (Caramel Sauce). Imagine pairing your kitchen creation tied with a cute ribbon around the lid, tucked into a box with a set of tulip sundae cups, a jar of sprinkles and a gift card to a local ice cream shop. What a cute gift for a friend, teacher or co-worker.  

If you have ever made caramel, it can be time consuming and, speaking from experience, if not watched closely, it can turn out grainy. I’ve thrown out more bad batches of sauce than I care to admit. So, when I discovered a no-fail method to make Dulce de Leche (sounds so gourmet), I was all over it.

Here’s how you make your own Caramel Sauce. You will need:

A crockpot

2 - 4oz. canning jar(s)

1 - 8oz. can Sweetened Condensed Milk (I like Eagle Brand but any brand will work)

Water

 Directions:

1)    Open the can of sweetened condensed milk and split it between two 4 oz. canning jars

2)    Screw the lids on the jars tightly

3)    Place the jars in a crockpot

4)    Fill the crockpot with water until it covers the top of the lids

5)    Turn the crockpot to LOW and let it cook for 8 hours – Making sure to keep an eye on the water level so that it does not fall below the top of the lids. Add more water if it does.

6)    Once the 8 hours is up, turn the crockpot off and all ow the jars to cool for a short time before removing them from the crockpot

7)    The jars should be pulled out of the water and can sit on the counter until they are completely cool

8)    Open the jars and stir

9)    Caramel sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks (if it lasts that long).

**Hint: Play with the time that the sauce stays in the crockpot – 8 hours will result in a think creamy sauce. If you want it to be thinner with more of a drizzle consistency, shorten the time to 6 hours.

** Hint: I used 2 cans of Sweetened Condensed Milk to make 5- 4oz jars.