Tarts Anon's dulce de leche

This versatile spread is perfect for everything from providing a deep rich sweetness, to patching up pastry cracks, and even creating a water resistant barrier for your tart shell.

Credit: Armelle Habib

• makes

  400 g

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  6 hours

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 x 400 g can of condensed milk (see Note)

Instructions

1. Take any number of 400 g (14 oz) cans of condensed milk and remove the labels. (This will make the clean up that much easier).
   
2. Place the cans lid side up inside a saucepan that will allow you to have at least 2 cm (¾ in) of water above the tops of the cans, but not be in danger of overflowing when the pot boils – roughly another 2 cm (¾ in).
   
3. Pour hot water into this pot – the hotter the better. This won’t affect how the caramel cooks, but the timer starts once the water comes up to temperature, so this just gets you there quicker.
   
4. Place the pot onto the stove and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and set a timer for 6 hours. Keep an eye on the water level and top it up with hot water as you go so that the cans stay under water at all times. The water provides a protective barrier (as it cannot go above 100°C, give or take). Let the water run out, and the milk inside the can will burn on the base as well as expand and explode in some cases. Although the liquid condensed milk is contained inside a can, the parts of the caramel that aren’t submerged remain lighter than the parts that are, especially once the proteins start to set and the milk becomes solid.
   
5. Once the time is up, remove the cans from the water and allow them to cool before opening – trust us. The pressure built up inside the can over time can cause the contents to spit out whilst still hot and it’s not a pleasant experience. You can also leave these cans inside the water until they can be safely removed once the water cools. This may take up to half an hour depending on the amount of cans you’ve chosen to cook, but the extra bit of time won't change how the caramel comes out.

Note

• This recipe is written for a single can as the smallest denominator. Feel free to scale the recipe up by using as many cans as your pot can handle.

This is an edited extract from Tarts Anon by Gareth Whitton & Catherine Way (Hardie Grant Books). Photography by Armelle Habib.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.