Sometimes I am just so curious about things. Take for instance macarons. I just had to make those so I could taste what they were all about. So glad I did because I have made them several times since. Now, it is cajeta.Cajeta- think Dulce de Leche with goats milk. I was so curious to find out what it is that I actually hunted down a goat farm and bought some milk. Now the milk, because it is not pasteurized, is not really recommended for consuming. I just ignored that. Besides I was planning to heat it to the nth degree. I mean lots of boiling and lots of stirring. It still is not really where I want it to be but the microwave will fix that. A couple minutes to get it heated and then some minutes to let some of the moisture out should thicken it up a bit more.
I am glad I took the time to investigate this. It was an experience that I am glad I am on the other side of. Would I do it again? No. Too much stirring. I can buy a can of dulce de leche. I like the cows milk, just the same.
My husband has been drizzling it over yogurt with some granola sprinkled on top.
Cajeta
Ingredients:
2 quarts of goat’s milk
2 cups of sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of baking soda
Method:
1. Stir together the milk and sugar in a large pot (make sure the liquid only goes half-way up the sides as it’s going to get frothy at one point and you don’t want it boiling over) and add the cinnamon and vanilla (if using a bean, split it lengthwise, scrape the seeds into the liquid and add the pod as well). Bring to a boil on medium heat while constantly stirring. This will take about 15 minutes.
2. When milk boils, remove from heat and add baking soda (dissolved in a bit of water) to the pot. The mixture will rise and get frothy, but as long as you keep stirring it will be fine.
3. Place the pot back on the stove on medium heat, and stir and stir and stir (though if you need to take a break, leaving the pot unattended for a minute or so won’t cause any harm to the cajeta). Make sure the milk stays at a gentle simmer rather than a raging boil.
4. After about an hour, the milk should start to turn golden brown. Remove the cinnamon stick and the vanilla pod. At this point, it will start to thicken fast, so it’s important to keep stirring so the milk doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pan.
5. Keep stirring until the mixture is a rich brown and thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, which will happen in about 15 minutes.
6. Pour into a glass container. It should keep in the refrigerator for a week, though mine has never lasted that long.
Does it taste much different than dulce de leche? I've made that from scratch but it really just took time letting it simmer
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried making dulce de leche yet. Most instructions I have come across,have the can simmering in water, that scares me in the event of an explosion. However, I have seen it done in the oven, placing the poured milk in an open pie plate... that I may try ;-)
ReplyDeleteIt looks delicious, Lori.
ReplyDeletei guess i don't care what the source is--dulce de leche is phenomenal no matter what!
ReplyDeletesounds good, I am not too keen on goats milk a bit sour to me but this is sweetened lol
ReplyDeleteYou are too funny. I'm just not that curious, I think! LOL
ReplyDeleteIt looks delicious...look at that lovely caramel color...but it does sound like a lot of work!
ReplyDeleteThis is why we love you Lori,we can't wait to see what you will get into next. What did you use it for?? Ice cream?? I've never made dulce de leche either and like Lucy I'm kinda bothered by the put the can in the water method.
ReplyDeleteHow neat! It sounds cool. And hard.
ReplyDeleteWow wow wow that looks so interesting! I just bookmarked this for a try!
ReplyDeleteThis is my 2nd comment because like a DUMMY I exited out instead of re typing the stupid word verification which I can NEVER seem to get right the first time. I had written such a nice comment, too! :(
ReplyDeleteThis post is so you Lori! I hope when I grow up I'm the foodie you are!
Are you still on vacation? Hope all is well.
~ingrid
hmmm, did it have the distinctive goat milk taste? I actually really dislike goats milk and therefore goat cheese, so i don't think this is for me either. This kind of reminds me of a candy made with goats milk that a friend brought back from Mexico. I was like, this tastes weird, is there goat milk in this?!!?? yuck.
ReplyDeleteSara/imafoodblog.com
imafoodblog- it's funny I bought goats milk yogurt and the milk from this farmer. The yogurt did not have that characteristic taste. The cajeta has cinnamon and vanilla in it. At first the taste just tastes like carmelized milk but the there is a bit of goats milk aftertaste. And to be honest with you, I liked it at first and ended up giving it all to my husband who loves it. I dont know if it sitting around enhanced the goat flavor.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your goat's milk dulce de lece. I just tried your recipe and it came out tasting perfect. I simmered it at a slightly higher heat and the stuff turned darker after 30 min., but was still too thin. After 1 hour it was dark and thick enough for my taste.
ReplyDeleteI stirred the pot only occasionally and had no poblem with burning on the bottom of the pot.
I like goats milk but could find no discernible difference in taste from making it with condensed milk.
I made this once before with condensed milk. Here I cook the condensed milk in a dish set in a waterbath and baked in the oven. So much easier, you just bake it 45min. at 450 degrees and voila! finito. The color is a bit paler.
In conclusion, both taste great, but I will return to my old way of baking in the oven.
By the way, milk and goatsmilk will not work in the oven, it must be condensed goats or milk.
Michael Weber
Thank you for your goat's milk dulce de lece. I just tried your recipe and it came out tasting perfect. I simmered it at a slightly higher heat and the stuff turned darker after 30 min., but was still too thin. After 1 hour it was dark and thick enough for my taste.
ReplyDeleteI stirred the pot only occasionally and had no poblem with burning on the bottom of the pot.
I like goats milk but could find no discernible difference in taste from making it with condensed milk.
I made this once before with condensed milk. Here I cook the condensed milk in a dish set in a waterbath and baked in the oven. So much easier, you just bake it 45min. at 450 degrees and voila! finito. The color is a bit paler.
In conclusion, both taste great, but I will return to my old way of baking in the oven.
By the way, milk and goatsmilk will not work in the oven, it must be condensed goats or milk.
Michael Weber
Your word verification cannot be working poperly.
ReplyDeleteI had to try 5 times.
Michael Weber