Manjar (Chilean Dulce de Leche)
Chile's dulce de leche: whole milk and sugar slow-simmered with a vanilla pod and a pinch of bicarb until it reduces to a thick, glossy caramel spread.
Overview
Chile's version of dulce de leche, the slow-simmered milk caramel that turns up in alfajores, kuchen fillings and the breakfast spread on a thick slice of bread. You combine whole milk, sugar, a split vanilla pod and a pinch of bicarbonate of soda in a heavy wide pan, then simmer slowly for two to three hours, stirring more frequently as the mixture thickens. The bicarb is the trick - it accelerates the Maillard reaction and is what gives manjar its iconic deep brown colour, where unaided dulce de leche stays paler. You're done when the mixture has reduced by two-thirds and turned the colour of dark caramel. Cool, store in a jar. Spread on toast, sandwich in alfajores, or eat by the spoonful when nobody's looking.
Ingredients
- 2 litres whole milk
- 500 g caster sugar
- 1 vanilla pod (split lengthways)
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- A pinch of salt
Method
Stage 1 - Combine
- In a wide heavy-bottomed saucepan (a Dutch oven works), combine the milk, sugar, split vanilla pod, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
- Place over medium heat; whisk until the sugar dissolves.
Stage 2 - Slow simmer
- Bring to a gentle simmer; reduce heat to low.
- Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for the first hour.
- As the mixture thickens (after about 90 minutes), stir more frequently to prevent it scorching at the bottom.
- Continue simmering until the mixture has reduced by about two-thirds and turned a deep caramel-amber colour - total 2-3 hours.
Stage 3 - Test
- Drop a teaspoon on a cold plate; let it cool 30 seconds.
- Run your finger through; the manjar should hold a clear line.
- If too runny, cook another 10 minutes; if too thick, whisk in a splash of warm milk off the heat.
Stage 4 - Finish
- Remove the vanilla pod (scrape any seeds out and stir them back in).
- Pour into clean jars while still warm.
- Cool to room temperature; seal; refrigerate.
Notes
- Wide heavy pan: narrow pans don't evaporate efficiently and you'll cook for hours longer. A wide-mouth Dutch oven is ideal.
- Bicarb is the colour trick: without it the manjar stays pale; with it the Maillard reaction goes faster and you get the iconic deep caramel.
- Stir constantly in the last 30 minutes: the sugar concentration is high enough to scorch easily. Use a long wooden spoon and scrape the bottom corners.
- Don't rush with high heat: boiling instead of simmering breaks the milk proteins and gives a grainy result.
Storage
- Keeps 6 weeks refrigerated in a sealed jar.
- Spreads colder; warm gently to make pourable.
- Doesn't freeze well - texture goes grainy.
- Use as filling for alfajores, layer cakes, panqueques (Chilean crepes), or just spread on toast.
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