Dulce de Leche (South & Central America)

      Move over Caramel, Dulce de Leche is the true king of the dessert toppers.  This cooked cream, literally meaning 'Milk Candy', has been flavoring desserts in the Latin culinary world since about the 19th century.  It was originally used as a topper for cakes and a flavoring for coffee, however when it came to the U.S. it almost immediately became the new topper for ice cream.
      Now most people are surprised when I tell them this, but Dulce de Leche only requires one ingredient.  No that is not a typo, all that you need is condensed milk you bake it in a water bath and voilà.

Dulce de Leche

2 cans (12 ounces each) sweetened condensed milk

In a medium sized pan or kettle bring water do a boil (it usually is about 5-6 cups).  Pour the condensed milk into a 9 inch glass pie plate.  Place the pie plate into a 9 x 13 pan.  Pour the boiling water into the pan just until it is about halfway up the sides of a pan. 

Cover the 9x13 pan with aluminum foil and place in a 350* oven cook for 10-15 minutes or until the milk has turned golden brown and has thickened.  Remove from the oven and scrape the contents into a bowl.  Give the dulce de leche a quick whisk.  Place in an airtight container or sanitized jar and store until ready to use.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups.