Dulce de Leche

I don't remember where I found this recipe for Latin American caramel sauce. It is simple and delicious. Serve it as a pudding. Mix it into vanilla ice cream. Use as a sauce over pound cake or a filling for pastries.

1 quart whole milk
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch cinnamon

Combine ingredients in a large, heavy saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook without stirring until mixture boils, about 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, about 45 minutes to one hour, until the mixture is caramel color and thick enough that you can see the bottom of the pan while you stir. Keep refrigerated until used.

A simpler (but more dangerous) method is to simmer an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in water to cover for about two hours. Remember to replenish the water and, if you decided to try this, beware that the can become overheated and explode. As an alternative, you can empty the can into a pie plate, cover with foil and bake in a water bath at 425o F for one hour.