Mexican Candy Leche Quemada Recipes

MEXICAN BURNT MILK CANDY (LECHE QUEMADA)

Steps:

• Line a 9 X 13 inch baking dish with foil or parchment paper. Spray well with nonstick cooking spray.
• Place the sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, and salt in a large 6-8 quart sauce pot and set over medium-high heat. Secure a candy thermometer to the side of the pot. Stir well and bring to a boil.
• Once boiling, lower the heat to medium-low. Stir continually until the candy thermometer reaches "soft ball" temperature, or 240 degrees F. It's okay if the bottom browns and little burnt sugar pieces are floating around the mixture. Just make sure to keep stirring!
• At 240 degrees F, remove from heat and immediately stir in the butter and vanilla extract. Once smooth, carefully pour the mixture into the prepared dish and allow the mixture to cool.
• When the Mexican Burnt Milk Candy is firm, but still warm, cut into small squares. Do not wait to cut the candy when it's all the way cool. It becomes hard to cut. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

MEXICAN CANDY (LECHE QUEMADA)

Steps:

• 1. Mix milk, sugar, butter, salt, and vanilla in a large heavy pan and bring to boil. Add brown sugar and stir until it dissolves. Continue cooking and stirring mixture over medium heat until it reaches soft ball stage. Stir until thick enough (as for fudge). Drop by teaspoonful on a buttered pan or waxed paper or pour into buttered pan and cut into squares.

LECHE QUEMADA, MEXICAN CANDY

Steps:

• Mix milk, sugar, butter and salt in a large heavy pan and bring to boil. Add brown sugar and stir until it dissolves. Continue cooking and stirring mixture over medium heat until it reaches soft ball stage. Stir until thick enough (as for fudge). Drop by teaspoonful on a buttered pan or waxed paper or pour into buttered pan and cut into squares.

MICROWAVE LECHE QUEMADA

Steps:

• Butter an 8 x 8 square dish and set aside.
• Place pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast in oven on 350 degrees for about 2 minutes, just until they start to brown slightly.
• Set pecans aside.
• Put the butter in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 1 minute or until melted.
• Stir in brown sugar and condensed milk.
• Return to microwave and cook on high for 7 0r 8 minutes, stopping every 2 minutes to stir the mixture with a wooden spoon.
• When 7 0r 8 minutes cooking time is up, take the mixture out on the microwave and beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to thicken and lose it's glossy appearance.
• Add vanilla and pecans to mixture and stir.
• Pour mixture into the greased dish and allow to cool completely.
• Slice into 1" squares and serve.
• *Note - You can leave the pecans out completely or not put them into the candy mixture and instead add toasted pecan halves to the top of each square of candy before it cools.

HOMEMADE CAJETA

Steps:

• Place a large pot (I use my new copper one!) over medium heat. Pour milk, vanilla, sugar and baking soda, give it a good stir and let it come to a simmer. Keep it at a steady medium simmer for about one hour and a half, stirring occasionally, every 15 to 20 minutes or so, with a wooden spatula or spoon. The mix will gradually thicken and darken.
• After about an hour and a half, the liquid will have thickened and reduced and the simmer will become stronger. Reduce the heat to medium low, to keep it at that constant medium simmer. You want active bubbling, but not over the top angry bubbles. Stir a bit more frequently, as you don't want the bottom to develop a thicker layer.
• You know the Cajeta is ready when: It achieves a caramel brown color; it is thick as liquid caramel or syrup, much like a chocolate syrup consistency; it envelops the back of the spoon; when you gently stir across the pot with your wooden spoon, a slightly delayed trail behind the spoon appears, revealing the bottom of the pot if only for a few seconds; as you slowly lift up the wooden spoon or spatula, Cajeta takes it's time to drop and lastly, the sides of the pot show how the Cajeta has cooked down and if you run your spoon across that side, you get a fudgy (and delicious) residue.
• Turn off the heat and let cool (it will thicken considerably as it cools).
• Place in a glass jar, cover tightly with a lid. It will keep in refrigerator for up to 6 months.

LECHE QUEMADA

Steps:

• Mix together and cook over low flame; 5 1/2 cups sugar and 2 cans of milk in a large deep pan, stir constantly. In small pan melt and brown 1/2 cup sugar. Pour melted sugar into mixture very slowly. Continue to stir and cook about 35-40 minutes. Test mixture by dropping a little it into some water to see if it will form a soft ball (watch carefully because the amount of time varies). When soft ball is formed remove from fire, add butter and vanilla and with a mixer at high speed, beat about 2 minutes, continue to stir until cooled and thick. On large piece of wax paper form any shape you wish or butter a large cookie sheet and pour, when cold, cut into squares.