Recipe

Step 1: Lightly grease a 9″ x 9″ square pan. Line the pan with a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving about a 1″ overhang on all sides.

Step 2: Combine the condensed milk, evaporated milk, butter, vanilla, and salt in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until the mixture has thickened and starts pulling away from the sides of the pan, 20-30 minutes. When ready, it will slide easily out of the pan when tilted.

Step 3: Pour into the prepared pan and allow to set, about 2 hours. Cut into rectangles or desired shapes.

Double the Flavour

You can mix and match flavours as you like, and you can do it quite simply. Pour half of the mixture into the prepared pan, stir another flavour — such as coffee extract or any kind of flavoured oil with a few drops of food colouring — into the other half, then pour that on top. Alternatively, you can make two separate flavours and make half a batch of each.

Variations

Chocolate: Add 6 tbsp unsweetened natural cocoa powder (preferably Dutch processed) along with the other ingredients.

Lime: Replace the vanilla with 1 tsp grated lime zest and add 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice and a few drops of green food colouring (if desired) once the mixture has been removed from the heat, making sure you add them slowly and stir well so it doesn’t separate.

Coffee: Add 2 tsp coffee extract along with the other ingredients.

Coconut: Replace the evaporated milk with the same size can of coconut milk.

Tequila: Add 1 tbsp white or reposado tequila once the mixture has been removed from the heat, making sure you add it slowly and stir well so it doesn’t separate.

Makes about 24 pieces

Reprinted with permission from Fany Gerson’s My Sweet Mexico (2010 Ten Speed Press).