Dulce De Leche

Photo: Rj Flamingo

Ingredients

1 quart whole milk

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preparation

Combine the first four ingredients in in a large saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved.

Once the sugar has dissolved, add the baking soda and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered at a bare simmer. Stir occasionally. Continue to cook for 1 hour.

Remove the vanilla bean after 1 hour and continue to cook until the mixture is a dark caramel color and has reduced to about 1 cup, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer.