My life... Dulce de Leche!

I love "Dulce de Leche" but not that kind that is like caramel. Well, of course I like the one like caramel but until you taste puertorrican Dulce de Leche you do not know what you are missing. I can not even start to compare it, there is no comparison and to be frank the caramel like has no chance against our Dulce de Leche. In Puerto Rico this sweet is something of a Christmas sweet or something you only find in some restaurants (and very bad quality) with typical puertorrican food. For me it is like home. It is one of those things that you just can't resist, at least I can not. I remember when my mother used to make it, opening the fridge every half hour and stealing a spoonful each time hoping she would not find out but every time I got busted... it was worth it every time!

I am the luckiest person alive, just because my mother and my aunt make the best Dulce de Leche ever. The problem is that I have never learned. I always ask my mother, but the typical answer is: es muy fácil, echa la leche cortala con el limón echa el azucar y velalo que no se pegue y se que me... Well, for me it was not that easy and I have watch her doing it and you have to be in the stove for almost three hours! But the other day I was reading one blogg called Kitchen Trial and Error and all the troubles she had to make Dulce de Leche (the caramel type) and I decided that I had to try mine.

The secret and difference between both Dulces de Leche is that the puertorrican one is "bumpy", it has a granule texture or in Spanish  it has "grumos". So, I had the ingredients and decided that today was the day to try. It is delicious! For my taste a little bit on the sweet side, but for being the first time and not having a recipe it is very good. I remember that once my cousin made a chocolate cake with this Dulce de Leche in the middle and that was heaven. Maybe I will try it some time, but for now we will enjoy this one as it is.

DULCE DE LECHE (Puertorriqueño)
1 liter whole milk
juice of lemon
200 gr. sugar (this depends on how sweet do you want it, I used 300gr. and it was too sweet)
1 stick cinnamon

- put the milk in a large pot and get it to boil (beware not to burn it).
- when it starts to boil add the lemon juice (the milk will curdle), there is no exact measure for how much you have to add, so look and when the milk starts to curdle, stop. Lower the temperature to medium.
- when the milk has "broken up" add the sugar and the cinnamon stick. Some people also add a bit of the lemon skin, but just a bit.
- move every 10 or 15 minutes until most of the "juice" has evaporated and the the milk is of a brownish cream color.