Cajeta is often confused with dulce de leche, the Argentine caramel made with cow’s milk, while the more intricate, deeply flavored cajeta is made with goat’s milk.
A BIT OF SWEET HISTORY
The name comes from a small balsa wood box called a cajita, especially made to store the caramel before refrigeration was widespread. Homemade cajeta is infinitely superior to store bought versions except in the case of the old-fashioned Dulcería de Celaya, in Mexico City, where they have been selling sweets since 1874, including their world famous cajeta.
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CREPAS DE CAJETA
Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients
Crepas:
¼ cup cake flour
¼ unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup ground pistachios
2 TSP sugar
½ TSP salt
¾ cup milk
2 oz. unsalted butter, melted
1 TBSP brandy
2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk
Cajeta:
2 qt. goat’s milk
1½ cups sugar
1 TBSP vanilla extract
1 qt. vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- To make crepas, mix cake and all-purpose flours, pistachios, sugar and salt, together in a bowl. Heat milk, butter, and brandy over medium-high heat until warm. Stir eggs and egg yolk into dry ingredients. Whisk in milk-butter mixture. Cover and chill for 8 hours or overnight.
- To make cajeta, heat oat’s milk, sugar and vanilla in saucepan over low heat. Cook slowly over low heat until milk turns caramel brown and coats the back of a spoon, about 1 hour.
- Heat 8-inch nonstick skillet, ladle in generous 1/3 cup batter, rotating pan to cover bottom. Cook until lightly browned on edges, about 2 minutes, then turn, using spatula, and cook for 2 more minutes. Transfer to plate, cover with damp towel and invert plate to keep warm while finishing other crêpes. Make 8 crepes.
- Divide crepes among 4 plates. Top with ¼ cup cajeta and scoop of vanilla ice cream to serve.
Recipe courtesy of Ivy Stark, corporate executive chef of Mexican restaurants Dos Caminos.
