Dulce de Leche

On this week's blog we bring a traditional Argentinian confection that is loved by many in South America - and we include ourselves here too, of course.

Dulce de leche is similar to caramel, and is prepared by slowly heating sweetened milk.

Dulce de leche's literal translation is 'milk candy' in Spanish, and is popular not only in Argentina, but across the entire continent, with each country having variations for its name, among them manjar, arequipe, manjar blanco, cajeta.

History

According to the legend, dulce de leche was discovered accidentally by the maid of Manuel de Rosa an Argentinian politician from the 1800s. She was said to have been cooking milk with sugar, however she became distracted. When she returned, she was greeted with a sweet brown goo.

The first recorded reference was in 1829, and comes from a peace meeting between Juan Manuel de Rosa and his enemy and politician Juan Lavalle. When Rosa's maid realised the mistake she'd made with his sweet milk, she fearfully confessed, thinking he'd be cross. However, he loved this new concoction so much when he tried it that he shared it with Lavalle. So yes, we owe this delicious creamy invention to her!

In Argentina, dulce de leche is used in many things (many, many things) such as pastries, ice-cream, 'sandwich' cookies, cakes, and also - a favourite - a spoonful gloriously by itself, a favourite for both young and old.

One of the most notable Brazilian treats are Brigadeiros. These are balls of dulce de leche and chocolate are covered in chocolate sprinkles as well. They're an absolute classic - our Managing Director Tomás always tells us how they were his go-to sweet at birthday parties when he was young. Here at Fazenda they can be found in our Brazilian Sweet Treats from our Desserts Menu.

Ingredients

The way in which dulce de leche is made varies from country to country. Uruguay simply makes it with milk and sugar. In Mexico they often opt to use goat’s milk. There’s even a method that just entails letting a tin of condensed milk simmer in water for a few hours (easiest method, preferred by many). At Fazenda, we make it the traditional Argentinian way, adding in some vanilla and baking soda, therefore providing an extra uniquely sweet flavour (one of the many recipes here).

Dulce De Leche Coulant

One of our guests’ favourite sweet creations from our executive chef Fran Martinez, our dulce de leche cake is not one to miss out on.

When broken into, this cake reveals a warm and indulgent dulce de leche centre that is impossible not to like. Served with Madagascan vanilla ice-cream, it's a truly unique creation, Fazendeiros.

We could definitely watch this on repeat...

Have you ever tried it, Fazendeiros? Or have you ever made dulce de leche at home? We'd love to hear your thoughts via the comment section below or on Facebook & Instagram.