The Sweetest Thing

I love fall. I love the vibrant colors. I love that crisp feeling in the air. I love the chill mornings and sultry afternoons, though those are pretty much gone here in Provo.

But maybe most of all, I love fall foods. There are all sorts of freshly harvested veggies and juicy apples, which are perfect for apple crisp. And everybody knows that along with the changing leaves comes a desire to cover everything in caramel - apples, popcorn, ice cream, fingers (ahem, Keaton)...

And so, my dear friends and readers, I present you with a heart-warming (and taste bud-satisfying) tale of adventure.

AKA - The Creamiest Caramel EVER

ingredients:

• 1 (or 4) UNOPENED cans sweetened condensed milk
• 1 big pot of boiling water
• about 5 hours of patience

Basically, here's how it works: You get a few cans of sweetened condensed milk & take the labels off - but DO NOT open the can. Then you find a really big pot, put the cans in the bottom, and cover them completely with water - make sure you have a couple of inches of water above the tops of the cans. I've been told they can explode if you don't keep them covered with water, and I really don't want any lawsuits, okay people? A lid is also a good idea, but a large frying pan will suffice in place of a traditional lid if you cannot find a lid that fits your pot.

Then you boil. And boil. And boil some more, making sure that the cans stay covered with the water. I turned my cans over a few times during this boiling process, though I don't know that that actually did anything. If you decide turning is a good idea, use a set of long tongs & remove the pot from heat - otherwise, your bubbling boiling water will splash on you - not fun.

After about 3 1/2 to 4 hours, remove the pot from heat and take the cans out of the water. Let cans cool completely (I set mine on the counter for about 40 minutes, then stuck them in the freezer for about 15 to speed up the process). If you open the cans before they're cool, you'll have a boiling river of caramel flowing over your hands & countertops - also not fun.

When the cans are cool, open them up and BEHOLD! Sweet, creamy, caramelly goodness. YUM. We thinned ours down to the perfect ice cream topping consistency with a bit of cream. Perfection.

Back me up, here, all you people that experienced this miracle last night - it was amazing, no?