dulce de leche.

Dulce de leche is basically caramel, and depending on which method you choose, it's really easy. There are mainly two ways of making it- from scratch with tons of milk and sugar that requires constant stirring or simply heating a can of condensed milk. I chose the method using condensed milk. Like duh.

In fact, I chose the second fastest way to make dulce de leche- in the pressure cooker. It just may be the most dangerous method, but it only requires 20 minutes as opposed to 8 hours (in the slow cooker). The quickest way is to use a microwave but I don't have one. You can click here for a whole list of ways to make dulce de leche with a can of condensed milk.

Because I've read how when using the pressure cooker method, the can can actually explode (!), I made sure to leave the lid on for 2 hours after the dulce de leche was done cooking. After which I fished out the can and left it on the counter top to cool overnight. It's important not to hasten the cooling process because that can also cause the can to explode if you immerse it in cold water while it's still hot, for example. It takes ages to cool (after 5 hours it was still warm!) so I suggest you get it out of your sight especially if you're impatient.

I think it's sort of magical how the only work you need to do is to boil water and you can get this gorgeous thick caramel. Makes me wonder why I ever bother with making caramel from scratch in the first place. With this method, all you need is one pot and one ingredient. Simple.

Dulce de Leche 
adapted from Savory Sweet Life

You must have enough water covering the can. If you find that your pot doesn't allow you to add that much water, you can turn the can on its side so that you don't need as much water to cover as it would require standing up. It's really easy to multiply this recipe, just boil more cans! And it doesn't call for any extra effort since they all cook together. It's pretty rich and I'm not sure I could finish a few cans so I just cooked one to try.

1 can of condensed milk, label removed

Place the can in a pressure cooker and cover with water at least 1.5 inches above the top of the can. Seal your lid on and bring to a boil on high heat. When your pressure cooker indicates you have a seal, reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes. Start timing only when the pressure cooker indicator pops up. Allow the pot to cool completely before removing the lid.

Remove the can from the cooker and let it cool completely, unopened.

Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Linked to Tuesday Talent Show, Crazy Sweet Tuesday, Cast Party Wednesday, These Chicks Cooked, Sweet Treats Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Sweet Tooth Friday, Fat Camp Friday, Sweets for a Saturday, Strut Your Stuff Saturday and Sweet Indulgences Sunday.