Five days ago, I posted a photo of the custard cake that I made on my Facebook Wall. My friends flooded my page with all their Likes. When I mentioned that I opted to make my own sweetened condensed milk instead of grabbing a can at the supermarket, folks filled the comment mill and my message inbox with the question, “How the hell do you make it?”
I did respond on my Wall. But for my curious friends, instead of sending individual messages, I am sharing the recipe below.
Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
In a saucepan, mix sugar and milk. Bring to a low-simmer over medium-low heat. Stir often. When steam starts lifting off the milk, lower the heat even further. When sugar dissolves, put heat at its lowest. Stir, stir, stir. In my case, I would stir it every 5-7 mins. Once you get the desired texture or once reduced to your satisfaction, whisk in butter and vanilla. Stir a little more. Then, remove from heat and allow it to cool. It is that simple!
(Stirring speeds up the process. Mine took only 45 mins to accomplish; other people would do theirs for two hours.)
Sounds delicious! I’m saving this recipe! I am going to make my own for my Tres Leches cake. Can’t wait!