← Nouns Cooking · Mexican

Ingredients

• 1 l Goat’s milk
• 200 g sugar (or chopped piloncillo)
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• ½ tsp Bicarbonate of soda, dissolved in 1 tbsp water
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract

Method

1. Pour the goat’s milk into a large, wide, heavy pan (it foams up a lot), add the sugar, cinnamon and salt and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
2. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the dissolved baking soda; it will bubble up furiously. Once it settles, return to the heat.
3. Simmer briskly, stirring every few minutes, for 45–60 min, until the milk has reduced and turned a pale caramel colour.
4. Lower the heat as it thickens and stir constantly for the last 10–15 min, until it is a deep amber and coats the back of a spoon thickly, leaving a clear trail when you drag a finger through.
5. Remove the cinnamon, stir in the vanilla and pour into a clean jar. It thickens a lot as it cools; keep it in the fridge for up to a month and warm it gently to pour.

Tips

• Cow’s milk works too; the result is closer to dulce de leche.
• Don’t leave the pan in the final stage: cajeta goes from perfect to scorched quickly.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

¡Hola! Jalapeño Rick Bayless