As a kid I remember my grandmother used to cook this all the time. My grandparents had a dairy farm, so they had to come up with things to do with the leftover milk. This is the same recipe my grandma used and, if memory serves, it was the best dulce de leche I ever had.

Remember that you cannot substitute full cream milk for skim milk, it won't work. I strongly suggest that you use fresh milk, but, if like most city dwellers you don't have a cow at home, go for the freshest milk that you can find in the supermarket. Should you find yourself not in possession of this oddly-sized mould don't despair, use something round and deep and easy to open, I have used a can opened on both sides or a square sardine can.

Time: 35 Mins
Difficulty: Easy
Serve: 4 people (2 bars)

Before starting to cook: Cover a square 7"x4", 1" - deep mould (or cut-out can) with waxed paper.

Ingredients:

• 8 cups of fresh milk (or full cream)
• 8 cups of brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of grated lime peels (optional)
  

Preparation:

1. Mix all the ingredients (except for the lime peels) in a deep-bottomed iron or aluminum pot. Boil at medium heat until it starts to set (don't let overboil). Add the lime peels and stir constantly until it reaches yoghurt-like consistency. Turn off the heat.
   
2. Pour into the mould and allow it to set for about two hours before removing from the mould. Serve cut into slices.

Thank you. I was waiting for this recipe.

Hello all,
I was wondering if anyone would know how to do the dulce de concon de leche that La Dulceria Peña de Bonao is famous for. I'm from NY and would love to try it at home

I suggest you ask that question in the forum. You'll get a faster response there.

I've tried this recipe 3 times. Something is wrong. First of all there is no way 8 cups of milk or brown sugar is for 4 people.. Do you mean 8 oz of milk and 1 cup of brown sugar? I've tried 2 cups of milk and and 2 cups of brown sugar. Do you pack the brown sugar? How long do you boil the ingredients? I've tried all of this and I always end up with a dulce de leche syrup.. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks for any help..

Hi Sanjuro,
Portions in all our recipes are measured more or less based on my own tastes. Dulce de leche is basically sugar, when it all comes down to it, and I find it a bit too sickly sweet for my tastes. If you see the photos a slice about that size is what you should expect as a portion. Double the recipe (or triple) if you wish to obtain bigger portions.

Also you have to boil the mix until it reduces significantly. If it is still 'syrupy' it means that it needs more cooking time. At the end you have to stir the mix often to avoid scorching as it turns into basically caramel.

Ok.. I got it figured out. First of all it helped that I mixed the ingredients well before heating them. I used heavy whipping cream instead of half and half. I had a little scorching but none made it into the mold. I stirred as much as possible. I'm still satisfied with the results and I know not to cook it as long next time. I appreciate your prompt reply and advice. It worked this time. Yay!!