Homemade Arequipe or Dulce de Leche

Homemade Arequipe or Dulce de Leche

I grew up eating this dessert and it’s one of my favorites. It is called arequipe in the region of Antioquia, Colombia, manjar blanco in other parts of the country and in the rest of South America it has different names such as dulce de leche, manjar Blanco and cajeta. In Colombia we serve arequipe with obleas or saltine crackers or just as a base for some typical desserts.

INGREDIENTS

96 oz whole milk
11/2 pounds sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cinnamon stick

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium pot, combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil.

2. Reduce the heat to medium-low, stirring often with a wooden spoon for about 3 hours or until the color changes to caramel and the mixture is thick as a pudding. Let it cool.

3. Pour into a glass container and cover. Refrigerate up to a week.