Homemade Arequipe

My daughter found this recipe when she was looking for an authentic Colombian dessert for a project in her Spanish class. We used the Arequipe we made to fill Alfajores. This recipe is absolutely delicious, but make sure you have plenty of time to spare before starting to make it. It takes a super long time, but it’s totally worth it. It’s very similar to dulce de leche, but has a cinnamon kick to it.

Ingredients

• 96 ounces whole milk
• 1 1/2 pounds sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cinnamon stick

Directions

1. In a medium pot, combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low, stirring often with a wooden spoon for about 3 hours or until the color changes to caramel and the mixture is thick as a pudding. Let it cool.
3. Pour into a glass container and cover. Refrigerate up to a week.