Dulce de Leche

Oh my where do I begin with this stuff. I have had this recipe on my to make list for quite sometime now and finally decided to try it out since I had another recipe I wanted to try that needed some Dulce de leche. Anyway both recipes were a success and let me tell this could not be any easier and I will never pay for dulce de leche in the store!! If you want some yummy caramely goodness give this easy recipe a try!! You will not be disappointed believe me. I found this recipe over at Mel's Kitchen cafe. Crockpot Dulche de Leche Makes 1 1/2 cups 2 (14-ounces each) cans sweetened condensed milk 1-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste, optional 3 (1/2 pint each) canning jars with lids and rings or I used 1 pint jar and 1 half pint jar because that is what I had Water Open the cans of sweetened condensed milk and portion them equally into the three canning jars. Wipe the tops and sides of the canning jars, if needed, in case any of the sweetened condensed milk spilled down the sides. Place a lid and ring on the canning jar and screw tightly to seal. Put the three canning jars in a slow cooker and cover with water by one inch. It doesn’t matter whether the jars are laying on their side or standing up straight – do what works best for the size of slow cooker you have. Place the lid on the slow cooker and set to low for 8-9 hours, until the dulce de leche is deep golden brown. Carefully remove the jars from the hot water and let them cool. If desired, open the jars and stir in 1/2 – 1 teaspoon vanilla extract into each jar. Replace the lids and rings and store in the refrigerator. Do not turn the heat up to high and cook for less time or you will have a sticky burnt mess!!! Use as a dip or ice cream topping or in some of your favorite desserts instead of sweetened condensed milk!!