Coconut Dulce de Leche Toffee

Easy and near effortless, apart from some top notch stirring, these chewy sweets are made from only three ingredients. A can of sweetened condensed milk, some coconut milk and a pinch of salt. The coconut and the pinch of salt dampen the sweetness for a more complex flavour. Perfect wrapped in parchment as a party gift over the holidays. There is no need for a candy thermometer because the colour of the dulce de leche will tell you everything you need to know.

Ingredients

•  400 ml can of sweetened condensed milk
• 200 ml coconut milk
• 1 pinch of salt

Step 1

Add all the ingredients together in a heavy saucepan and mix together over a low heat. 

Step 2

The first ten minutes or so you are evaporating the extra fluid from the coconut milk. During this stage it is wise to stir  often but the real vigilance and constant stirring will begin once the texture becomes thicker like custard. 

Step 3

Once the mixture is so thick that you see the bottom of the pan while stirring you cannot leave the pan. The caramalisation and Maillard reactions are doing their thing now and you need to stir constantly to prevent the mixture from burning. Don't worry if there is some browning at the bottom of the pan, just make sure you constantly scrape and stir it through.

Step 4

Continue this until the mixture is very thick and a light caramel brown. You can test it by taking a little out of the pan, let it cool a bit and taste it. It should have that typical dulce de leche taste from the Maillard reaction and it should be a chewy texture. If it's not there yet keep on stirring it. 

Step 5

Spoon the mixture onto some parchment paper and pad it down with a spatula. Let it cool a little and fold it in halve to make a thicker layer. 

Step 6

Cut the toffee while still slightly warm into whatever shape you want. The toffee will harden while it cools but will regain its chewyness in your mouth. Store in an airtight container.