Burnt Milk
Submitted by watersprout
A traditional Mexican caramelized milk dessert (leche quemada) made by slowly cooking milk and sugar into a thick, golden custard scented with cinnamon. Just four simple ingredients.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
1 hrsLeche quemada, or burnt milk, is one of Mexico’s oldest and simplest sweet traditions.
Milk and sugar cook together slowly until the sugar caramelizes into a rich golden color. A second pot of milk gets heated with cinnamon and a pinch of baking soda, then stirred gradually into the caramel.
The whole mixture simmers down into a thick, silky custard with deep notes of caramel and warm cinnamon.
Pour it into a glass bowl, chill, and serve. Four ingredients, no eggs, no cream, no fuss.
With nearly 460 reviews, this one has clearly struck a chord.
Kitchen Tips
- Add the hot cinnamon milk to the caramel very slowly, stirring the whole time. Adding it too fast can cause the caramel to seize into hard lumps.
- Keep the heat low throughout. High heat will scorch the milk and give it a bitter taste instead of a sweet, toasty one.
- The mixture is done when it coats the back of a spoon thickly. It will continue to set as it cools in the fridge.
- Serve in small portions. This is intensely sweet and rich, so a little goes a long way.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine 1 quart of the milk in a saucepan with the sugar, and cook over a low heat, stirring from time to time, until the mixture turns golden.
Meanwhile, stir the soda into the remaining quart of milk in a saucepan.
Add the cinnamon stick, and bring to a boil.
Discard the cinnamon.
Add the hot milk to the caramel mixture very gradually, stirring constantly.
When all the milk in incorporated, place over a low heat, and cook very slowly until the mixture is thick.
Cool slightly; then pour into a glass serving bowl, and chill.
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