Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk

It still amazes me how people take for granted the things they 'pick up' at the grocery store to 'cook'. A recipe today simply calls for 1 can of sweetened condensed milk-great!, but what if I can't eat that? Luckily there is a way to make your ingredients, the old fashioned way, so that you can assemble your recipe. So, like so many times before, it is necessary to first prepare an ingredient before you can even begin the thing you really want to make!

*****UPDATE****

Since I first posted this I have found sweetened condensed coconut milk in a can!

I found this on one of my visits to Wegman's when traveling. I also looked and it is available on Amazon too.

This works just like the real thing. You can use it in my Handmade Peppermint Patties, Coconut Frosting (a dairy free alternative to cream cheese frosting, Caramel Sauce, and Magic Cookie Bars. And anyplace else you would want sweetened condensed milk!

If you cannot find this where you are, I left the recipe below. Too many things are found and then lost again. There is no way to know how long Amazon will carry something, and I cannot always get to Wegman's when I need something.

Also, don't forget you can freeze this, so if you open a can and aren't using the whole thing, throw it in the freezer. Don't forget to label it and include how much you have left. You can also freeze this in ice cube trays. A standard tray is 2 TBSP per cube = 1/8 cup, so 4 cubes would be 1/2 cup.

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This one ingredient is special. First, you can make it up to two weeks in advance and simply store it in the fridge in a sealed container. It can also be frozen up to 3 months- yay! So, making it ahead of time can give you the convenience of 'grabbing and making'.

But, the truly special thing about this is that it is soooo much better than regular old sweetened condensed milk. So much so that my fudge made with this is the first to disappear. There is just something decadent about that subtle coconut flavor within the foods you add this to.

Another great thing about making your own is being able to control the sugar content. My recipe calls for 1/2 cup of granulated sugar for each can of coconut milk, but you can vary the quantity from 2 Tablespoons up to a cup per can. You can also vary the sweetener to use any granulated sugar or a liquid sweetener, such as honey, maple syrup, or agave. Just realize a liquid sweetener will add to your reduction time.

The cooking time varies. Mine takes longer to thicken or reduce because I am selecting a coconut milk without added thickeners such as guar gum or carageenan. I react to most additives, so I need to keep this pure. If you are making this without the added thickeners, plan on making this when you are going to be home, and tied to your kitchen for awhile. Put it on and let it go..stirring occasionally. It does not require you to be hyper-vigilant, so it fits in well with multi-tasking. I can get my done while preparing dinner or baking. **If you have a gas stove, you will want to use a double boiler. Otherwise this may erupt and leave a mess all over, even on the ceiling. You can 'make' a double boiler by simply placing a smaller pot inside a larger one with water. The water should come up around the sides of the smaller pot, but not so high that it may get into the smaller pot.

Here is the recipe: