Ingredients
The sweet
- 2 litreswhole milk
- 700 gsugar
- 1/4 teaspoonbicarbonate of soda
- 1cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoonvanilla
- a pinch of salt
Sometimes added
- 100 ggrated coconut
- 100 gchopped nuts
- the zest of 1 lime
- a splash of rum
Equipment
- a very large heavy pan
- a long wooden spoon
- a marble slab or an oiled tray
Directions
- Use the largest heavy pan you own. A small pan will boil over within minutes. Pour all the milk into the pan. Add the sugar and stir it all in. Add the cinnamon stick and the pinch of salt.
- Heat it gently until the sugar dissolves. Stir it as it heats so nothing settles. Stir it through and let the foam settle. Boiling it down is long and needs attention. Bring the pan up to a steady boil. Keep it at a strong simmer rather than a rolling boil.
- Stir it every few minutes at the start. Stir it constantly towards the end. It takes about ninety minutes in total. Drop a little into cold water to check. It should form a soft ball you can pinch.
- Take the pan off the heat entirely. Add the vanilla and any flavourings. Keep beating for several minutes. Fine crystals give a smooth fudge texture.
- Tip the mixture onto a marble slab or oiled tray. Spread it flat with an oiled spatula. Aim for about two centimetres thick.
- Work fast, since it stiffens as it cools. Let it cool for about ten minutes. Cutting it needs the right moment. Cut it into squares with an oiled knife. Cut right down through to the tray.
- Wait too long and it becomes too hard to cut. Let the cut squares cool completely. Wrap each square in a twist of paper. Keep the wrapped squares in a tin. They keep for two weeks or more.
Technique
- Diriomo in Granada province is known throughout Nicaragua as the cajeta town, with families making the sweets for markets nationwide.
- Nicaraguan cajeta is a firm sliceable fudge, quite unlike Mexican cajeta, which is a runny goat’s milk caramel sauce.
Substitutions
- Evaporated milk shortens the cooking time considerably but changes the flavour.
- Grated coconut, chopped nuts or lime zest are all traditional additions.
Variations
- Cajeta de coco with grated coconut is among the most common versions.
- A version with chopped nuts stirred through is also made.
- Cajeta de zapoyol, made with mamey seed, is a Nicaraguan speciality.
History
Diriomo in Granada province is the cajeta town, its families making the sweets for markets nationwide.
Frequently asked questions
What is Cajeta de leche?
Cajeta de leche is a dessert from Nicaragua: dense fudge of boiled milk and sugar, cut in squares. Diriomo in Granada province is the cajeta town, its families making the sweets for markets nationwide.
How long does Cajeta de leche take to make?
Cajeta de leche takes 15 minutes of preparation and 1 hour 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 40 squares. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Cajeta de leche?
Yes, within limits. Evaporated milk shortens the cooking time considerably but changes the flavour. Grated coconut, chopped nuts or lime zest are all traditional additions.
What is the most important thing to get right in Cajeta de leche?
Heat it gently until the sugar dissolves. Stir it as it heats so nothing settles. Stir it through and let the foam settle. Boiling it down is long and needs attention. Bring the pan up to a steady boil. Keep it at a strong simmer rather than a rolling boil.
