Brielle's Avalon

Somehow I have a carton of milk in the fridge that expires tomorrow. I haven’t opened it yet, but it REALLY needs to get used. If there were a couple cups I’d make pudding. If it were just a smidge left I’d give it to the neighbourhood strays or pour it around the tomatoes to give them a calcium boost, but this is a whole, unopened 2 quart carton of milk, so, since I haven’t made milk candy in YEARS I might as well make some now. Also, I came home from work with a migraine, so I’m not up for anything that takes much effort and I can’t sleep so sitting, stirring and watching random stuff on TV is about all I can handle. At least I won’t feel totally worthless since I’m making something and not wasting milk.

You’ll need: a 2 quart saucepan, a cake-pan lined with foil or waxed paper, spoon for stirring

2 quarts milk, 1 c sugar (brown sugar if you want darker candy with a richer flavour), 1 tsp vanilla

Pour the milk into a 2 quart saucepan. The whole carton won’t fit, so just wait til the milk reduces to make room for the rest.

Add sugar. If you use brown sugar be sure it’s a packed.

I’m using brown sugar this time, so it makes the milk a bit darker and richer. Turn the burner on between medium and medium high and start stirring.

If you use a 2 quart pan the whole 2 quarts won’t fit and leave room to not boil over, so add most or all of the rest when it’s simmered down in 20-30 minutes. Get a stool and a glass of your preferred beverage and stir. Keep stirring. This will take a while, so maybe have a movie on, maybe stream something on the laptop or at least get the remote for some channel surfing or binge-watching so you have something to amuse yourself for the next few hours while you wait for this to thicken. Popcorn or another easy snack wouldn’t go amiss.

Also, get the cake pan ready, line it with foil and spray with oil.

You don’t have to stir vigorously, but you do need to keep stirring and keep the milk from singeing on the bottom.

You’re looking to get the milk to reduce to a little more than half what it was. You can use the spoon to measure how far the milk’s gone down. Compare the spoon from the tip at the top of the milk and note where it compares to the original level of the milk,

Then sink the spoon into the remaining milk and see how it compares to the 1st spoon measurement.

You can test the sturdiness of the milk by dropping a touch on a plate and drawing your finger through it.

Keep stirring. It’ll be somewhere between 2 1/2 to 3 hours. When it’s finally a bit less than half the original volume it’ll be quite a bit thicker with big, spattery bubbles and the spoon will start to leave traces.

Put the pan in a bowl of cool water with some ice and add the vanilla.

When cool enough to hold in your lap start beating it with a whisk or spoon, like when you make fudge. Keep beating until it’s thickened a bit.

Then pour into the prepared cake-pan.

If it firms up enough to cut into fudgey squares that’s wonderful If it doesn’t you can heat it into a nice, thick sauce for desserts. Last time I reduced it more and it made fudgey squares. This time I spooned it into a container for a thick dessert sauce on cakes, ice cream, cookies or anything that seems nice to dip it in or spoon it over. It should keep in the fridge about a week or until it’s used up…whichever comes first.

When you’re ready to use it it’s good warmed up (in a small dish in the microwave is fine) and it’s yummy on ice cream, it got the Andrew vote of approval. He’s not into chocolate but he likes caramel, butterscotch and such like things.

I now realize why I haven’t made this in years. Sitting stirring for 2 to 3 hours is tedious, even if you’re not up to doing anything else and have something to watch. Next time I’ll use evaporated milk, like the online recipes suggest, and cut stirring time in about half. And maybe next time I have an extra 1/2 gallon of milk I’ll think about making cheese instead. If/when I do make it again I might change up the flavour with a cinnamon stick for a horchata-like flavour or maybe mix in some chocolate or maybe leave it vanilla and cover it with a layer of fudge. There are options…hmm…