Cajeta Recipes

CAJETA (MEXICAN CARAMEL SAUCE)

Steps:

• Stir together the milk and sugar in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. (Make sure the liquid only goes three fourths the way up the sides, as it will froth when the baking soda is added.) Add the cinnamon stick, salt, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds plus the empty vanilla bean pods. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat while constantly stirring. This will take about 15 minutes. DO NOT take your eyes off the pot. It boils over easily and quickly!
• When the milk comes to a boil, quickly remove from heat and add baking soda to the pot. The mixture will rise and get frothy, just keep stirring the mixture.
• Place the pot back on the stove over medium heat, and stir frequently, about every 10 minutes or so. Make sure the milk stays at a gentle simmer rather than a raging boil, and stir across the bottom of the pot to make sure the mixture is not scorching. Adjust heat as needed.
• After about an hour and a half, the milk should start to turn golden brown. Remove the cinnamon stick and the vanilla pod. At this point, it will start to thicken fast, so it's important to keep stirring so the milk doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan.
• Keep stirring until the mixture is a rich brown and thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, this will happen after about 15 to 30 minutes. Allow the sauce to cool slightly and then pour into airtight containers. The mixture will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

CREPES CAJETA

Steps:

• To make the cajeta: place the unopened can of milk in a heavy saucepan and cover completely with water. Over very low heat, cook at a bare quiver for 3 hours, adding more water as necessary as it evaporates. With an oven glove, turn the can over and cook for 2 1/2 hours more. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate overnight.
• In a blender, combine the milk, eggs, sugar, flour, butter, salt, vanilla, cloves, and cinnamon and blend until completely smooth. Let the batter sit in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Heat a small nonstick skillet and pour in about 2 tablespoons of the crepe batter, swirling the pan immediately to make sure the batter covers the pan evenly. Cook until small bubbles form on the surface, then flip to the other side. Slide onto a plate and make the remaining crepes in the same way, stacking them on the plate until you are finished.
• To assemble the crepes: open the can of cooked condensed milk and stir it up from the bottom with a fork, blending to an evenly thick consistency. Spread about 1 tablespoon of the "cajeta evenly over the surface of one crepe. Scatter some of the toasted pecans over the top and roll up into a tube. Repeat with the remaining crepes and reheat in a low oven for a few minutes before serving. Serve 4 crepes per person, sprinkled with a little confectioners sugar and scattered with raspberries.

CAJETA GELATIN

Steps:

• Sprinkle the gelatin in 1/2 cup water. Let stand about 2 minutes to soften. Microwave on high for 45 seconds. Stir for 15 seconds, until the gelatin is dissolved.
• In a 2-quart saucepan, heat the evaporated milk until hot, making sure not to boil. Whisk in the cajeta until smooth and evenly incorporated. Stir in the gelatin mixture to the cajeta mixture and turn the heat off to cool slightly.
• In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the cream cheese and beat on medium speed while slowly adding 1/3 cup of the cajeta cream to temper the cream cheese and avoid curdling or separation. Gradually add the remaining cajeta cream and continue beating until smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again until fully incorporated and frothy. Strain the cream into a glass pitcher or into a 4-cup liquid measure, maintaining as much froth as possible. Pour 1 cup of the cream into each of the 4 wine glasses.
• Garnish with 3 to 5 fresh raspberries (the raspberries will remain afloat in the froth). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

CAJETA

Steps:

• In a large, heavy-bottom saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, and vanilla and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the dissolved baking soda. When the bubbling stops, return the pan to the heat, bring back to a simmer, and cook, stirring often, for 1 hour, or until the mixture starts to thicken and turn golden. At this point the cajeta will start to thicken fast, so don't leave the pan unattended. Continue to cook, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn or stick to the bottom of the pan, for another 20 minutes, or until the cajeta is a rich brown color and thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. It should cool to a medium-thick caramel consistency. If it's too thick, add a small amount of water; if it's too thin, continue to cook until thickened.
• Transfer to a container, let cool, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Warm slightly before serving. It will keep for about 1 month in the refrigerator.

CAJETA DESSERT SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine sugar, salt, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon water in wide, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat. Cover saucepan and cook, checking occasionally until sugar melts and turns amber, 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overcook or sugar will burn.
• Remove from heat and slowly whisk in goat's milk. Let cool completely. Drizzle cajeta sauce over ice cream and serve, or store covered in refrigerator up to 1 week.

CAJETA SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large (6-quart) heavy bottomed saucepan, bring milk to a boil over medium-high heat. Add sugar and cook, stirring to dissolve.
• Add vanilla beans to saucepan and bring to a simmer. In a small bowl whisk together baking soda and 1 1/2 tablespoons water until baking soda is dissolved. Reduce heat to low and add baking soda mixture to saucepan and cook, stirring constantly. If mixture begins to foam up too high, remove from heat for a moment until foam goes down.
• Cook, stirring every 15 minutes or so, until mixture turns brown and is thickened and reduced to 3 cups, 6 to 8 hours. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and let cool slightly.

CAJETA (CARAMEL CANDY)

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine 1 quart of the milk with the sugar and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until mixture turns golden.
• In the remaining quart of milk, stir in the soda and place in another saucepan.
• Add the cinnamon stick and bring to boil.
• Discard the cinnamon and add the hot milk very gradually to the caramel mixture, stirring constantly.
• When all the milk is incorporated, place over a low heat and cook very slowly until the mixture is thick like melted caramel.
• Cool slightly; then pour into a glass container and chill.
• Please note that the cooking times and yield are approximate.

REAL MEXICAN CAJETA (GOAT'S MILK CARAMEL OR DULCE DE LECHE)

Steps:

• In a large, heavy pot (not iron), combine the milk, sugar, and vanilla, and place over medium heat. Stir regularly until the milk comes to a simmer and sugar is dissolved. Remove the pot from the heat and add dissolved baking soda; it will bubble up at this point, especially with goat's milk. When the bubbles have subsided, return it to the heat.
• Adjust heat so that the mixture is simmering briskly but not boiling. Cook, stirring regularly, until the mixture turns pale golden, about one hour.
• You will now need to stir the milk more regularly as it begins to thicken and turns a caramel-brown color. Don't allow the milk to stick to the bottom of the pot. You can drop a few drops into a small glass of water. If a soft ball forms, the cajeta is ready.
• If you take the pot off the heat and allow the cajeta to cool, it should be a medium-thick sauce. If it's too thick, add hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time until it is the proper consistency. If it is too thin, return to the heat until it thickens.
• When the cajeta is cool, remove the vanilla bean. Strain the cajeta through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl or wide-mouthed jar, then scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the cajeta. Refrigerate until ready to use. Cajeta is best served warm.