Dulce Sin Leche

Many of my friends already know this recipe I am about to share, and most have tried it.  It is my version of an Argentine classic, Dulce de Leche.  A Sweet caramel spread that the Argentines put on EVERYTHING.  When we lived in Buenos Aires you could not escape the stuff, and everyone raved about it.  But - it is made from cream and butter and sugar.  Not Debbi-Friendly.  But that has never deterred me before, I wanted my own version!  A dairy free version!

I was told it was not possible.  I was told it could not be done.  So I asked questions, I did research, and I came up with a dairy and gluten free version of this South American sweet.  And you know what, it's pretty good.  :-)  The best compliment I received was from an Argentine friend who told me that it was really good, so good she almost preferred it to Dulce de Leche, BUT, I could not call it Dulce de Leche.  Because it was not.  So I came up with Dulce Sin Leche because I like both truth in advertising and a play on words.  :-)

This recipe is simple, but time consuming.  Do not start it if you have a toddler about to wake from a nap, have an appointment in 20 minutes, or anything else pressing you for time.  This is truly an Argentine developed recipe in that time does not matter and the caramel will come together when it is ready to and not before.  Make sure you have some good tunes in the kitchen, or some great podcasts from NPR to listen to while you are stirring.  :-)

Dulce Sin Leche

1 cup coconut milk (unsweetened, full fat, no extras!)
1 cup margarine (I use Earth Balance)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup muscovado sugar or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup honey (non pasturized)
1 tsp vanilla

Mix the sugars, honey and vanilla in a large sauce pan and caramelize   In a separate pan, warm the coconut milk and margarine until the margarine is melted, mix well.




Once the sugars are caramelized, add the warmed coconut milk mixture.  STIR constantly!  Bring to a boil and then immediately reduce and cook over very low heat.
How do you know when it is done??  Well, when the caramel is thickened and slightly viscous and smells like butter and sugar and chocolate.  Honestly every time I make this the time is different, I don't know if it is the humidity, the coconut milk, the minute change in heat from each time, or what.  But you have to cook this by feel and sight, it can take up to 45 minutes. Really. (I told you that you needed time!)

This is what you want it to look like:

isn't this just gorgeous?!?!?

Do you know that feeling when you are making scrambled eggs over very low heat, and they just start to turn from thick liquid to soft egg curds?  That is the feel you want in this caramel.  Easy?  No.  I screwed up twice my first attempts.  If you over cook the caramel, it instantly turns to a burnt sugary mess.  So here are some pictures from my failure.  If you over boil it, it will look like marshmallow and then seize into a solid lump of granular nasty.

Houston, we have a problem....

And there is no salvaging it when it gets to this stage

NOT Caramel!! - FAIL!!!

Once the caramel is done, take it off the heat and set aside to thicken.  It will thicken as it cools, so don't worry that it is still liquid-y, it will firm up.  And now for the joy.  You can drizzle this on anything you would like.  My personal favorite is on coconut sorbet.  I have also filled crepes with it, drizzled it on pancakes, and eaten it by the spoonful.  There is a traditional Argentine cookie called a Alfajores - which is basically a sweet shortbread cookie with dulce de leche in the center and then dipped in chocolate or rolled in coconut. I am working on adapting the Alfajore recipe to be GF and DF - so look for that soon!  Then you can make a Dulce Sin Leche sandwich cookie that will be out of this world!