Or how many different ways you can use it! Sweetened condensed milk is the base for the viral homemade caramel hacks, a key ingredient in homemade Bailey's, or just an all-around great addition to a cup of coffee ☕️
We were walking through the grocery store recently, in the baking aisle. I can't remember what we were looking for, but I spotted the sweetened condense milk cans and thought to myself I better grab one. Flipped it around out of curiosity to see the ingredient label and expected to see a long list. No idea why I thought that but when the main ingredients were milk and sugar, you can bet I'm going to try it!
Now I'm a big fan of vanilla extract in general, so in my recipe I add a little. You can completely omit it if you'd like to bring this back down to a 3-ingredient recipe. And another nod to my chemistry heart, the third ingredient besides milk and sugar is baking soda. So helpful in so many reactions, here it can help to caramelize the sugar and prevent the protein in milk from coagulating which gives it a smoother consistency. You can use any fat content milk that you would like, I use whole because I like creamier ingredients and I have little kids and that's what they drink. Another option is to switch out the white sugar for brown if you are leaning towards the caramel side or add a little molasses or maple syrup. Do not use a sugar substitute however, these do not caramelize properly. Real deal here only.
Ingredients
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)
Step 1: Boil Milk and Sugar
Keep this low and slow, make sure nothing burns. I used a dutch oven for this one. Keep the boil on a low simmer once it's going, the milk will yellow-ish as the sugar caramelizes.
Step 2: Add Baking Soda
Once you see bubbles sticking on the side, add the baking soda. This will cause the mixture to thicken even more so don't let the milk over-simmer. Keep this going until the texture is creamy and the color is a nice ivory.
Step 3: Cool and Add Vanilla
Remove from heat and let it cool down, pour into an airtight container and add vanilla. Store in the fridge.
If you've been thinking about a dutch oven, I do highly recommend it and you can get a lot of use from a 5 or 6qt (click image for link)
And mason jars so far are working the best for me for storage (click image for link)
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And That's It!
As usual, super easy homemade goodness with no additional mix-ins. Follow @spiritbeanscoffee on Instagram and Facebook for more drink inspiration, thanks for reading! ❤️
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