Ivy Stark's Crepas de Cajeta-MainPhoto

Ivy Stark's Crepas de Cajeta-MainPhoto
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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.