Gluten Free Leche Quemada Sin Trabajo (Easy Milk Candy)

This is a custard like dessert. Depending on how long you cook it, it's consistency ranges from that of pudding to that of flan. The longer you cook it, the darker in color and less sweet it gets.

8x8 pan, lined with oiled wax paper

Combine in very large straight sided glass mixing bowl

• Two 14 oz cans sweetened condensed milk
• about 1/2 teaspooon cinnamon (optional)

Cook on high in microwave*

• 2 minutes, then scrape down sides & stir
• 2 minutes, then scrape down sides & stir
• 1-2 minutes - till starts to crawl up sides. Will noticeably thicken.

Pour into prepared 8x8 pan. Fridge until firm. Then peel off wax paper & cut into squares.

* Every microwave is different. Watch & turn off microwave if it looks like milk is going to overflow bowl. Do not walk away from micro while candy is cooking unless you like cleaning your microwave.

Modified from page 262 of Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz's The Complete Book of Mexican Cooking, Ballantine books, December 1985, isbn: 0-345-32559-1

Original recipe had a variation where you cook unopened cans of sweetened condensed milk covered by boiling water 1-1.5 hours. I actually tried this by cooking 2 cans covered by water in my crockpot overnight, about 12 hours. The cans did not explode, but 12 hours was a bit long. My dessert was dark brown. Actually tasted fine. Could do an experiment with 4 cans pulling them out every 2 hours till you get the consistency you like. Then scoop out of the cans and season with a little cinnamon or wine.

I think cooking the cans covered with water in a crockpot is even easier than using the microwave.