In Philadelphia, we have Capogiro‘s, a magical gelato store that will leave you penniless but happy. A certain someone has developed a minor obsession with their dulce de leche flavor, a wondrous vanilla with a thick swirl of caramel. I have yet to find a decent gelato recipe (readers: help!), and my ice cream  production [...]]]>

In Philadelphia, we have Capogiro‘s, a magical gelato store that will leave you penniless but happy. A certain someone has developed a minor obsession with their dulce de leche flavor, a wondrous vanilla with a thick swirl of caramel. I have yet to find a decent gelato recipe (readers: help!), and my ice cream  production remains somewhat dicey, but I am pleased to report that I have at least figured out the secret to ducle de leche itself. And the good news is, it’s very, very easy.

1) Open a can of sweetened condensed milk (Trader Joe’s sells an organic version). Put it in a pie pan or large ramekin, sprinkle with kosher salt, and seal it tightly with aluminum foil. Put the baking dish in a water bath, like this:

2) Bake it in a 425°F oven for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until it’s a nice caramel color.

3) Eat. Wonderful on/in ice cream, bread pudding, cheesecake, or just about anything else.

That’s all there is to it. Amazing, no?