January 13, 2014

Honey Dulce de Leche: Milk and Honey Caramel Sauce

This recipe is very American. It calls for a jar, a can, and a stick.
A photo posted by BBHB (@backyardbee) on


Bring to a boil in a heavy-sided pot (3-qt minimum size):
1 jar of honey (a 1# Queenline is 11 oz. by volume)
1 can of evaporated milk (a big 12 oz. can, not the little one)
1 stick of butter (that's 1/2 c.)

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir to prevent scorching. Cook for 10 minutes after the mixture reaches a furious boil. Turn the heat down if the caramel is threatening to boil over no matter how much you stir. (Will not be a problem if you use a 4-qt pot.)

Off-heat, stir in:
Make a slurry with a pinch baking soda, 1/4 t. cornstarch, and 1 T. vanilla or almond extract. Expect some foaming when you stir it in gently. Return to heat and cook until the sauce coats the back of a spoon – another 2 minutes or so. Strain and rapid chill using an ice bath if you want to use the caramel right away. (NOTE: the cornstarch is to prevent syrup from precipitating to the bottom, as it has in the photo.)

To package for gifting, strain the hot caramel into prepared jars and boiling water process for 10 minutes.*

YIELD: Makes 2 half-pints with some leftover for immediate use.

To serve, stir before use, then simply pour or spread it over anything you fancy: filled crêpes, on warm biscuits, sliced pears or apples, on ice cream or cheesecake. For warm goodies, be sure to pull the dulce de leche from the fridge while you prepare your pancakes, waffles,… so it's not too chilly on your teeth.


CHEF TIP: Toss your sliced pears and apples in honey water to prevent browning before serving, about 2 T. honey to a cup of water.

*I can't tell you that canning the caramel sauce will make it shelf-stable for a year, but it does give that satisfying POP when you open the jar, the POP that tells you, "This product was carefully made and is Good to Eat."

While this recipe is very American, I favor ones that are given in grams. Like this one! Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cake

3 comments:

meemsnyc said...

Oh wow, I'll have to try and make this!

HB said...

If you enjoy the flavor of Frangelico, you will love this recipe. Excited to hear how it turns out for you, meemsnyc.

Anonymous said...

Ohh I love dulce deleche too, I have ate a lot of times. I recommend the ones from Uruguay (South America), there I bought my best one at http://www.thebestofuruguay.com and then I continue buying from home. It´s amazing. Best Regards. Paul

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