Candied yum.

Do you have a great, trustworthy farmer nearby?  We've been blessed with so many local resources for delicious, animal and earth friendly treats.  Goat's milk from goodale farms, apples from harbes', honey from hamptons honey company all helped make our delicious Cajeta.

I'm not gonna pretend this recipe came out as planned - did i let the caramel get thick enough to stick to the apples and hold up the chopped nuts?  No.  Did it taste good anyway?  YUP.  If you want yours to work, keep reducing the caramel until its thick enough, or if you're impatient and hungry like me, just use it to dip/drizzle/lick off your fingertips.

Cajeta (thanks, Rick Bayless)

2 quarts goat's milk

1 cup honey

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1 tbsp water

1. In a medium-large dutch oven, combine the milk, honey and sugar.  Set over medium heat.  Stir until the milk comes to a simmer (all the sugar should have dissolved by this point).  Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the dissolved baking soda - it'll flame up if the goat's milk is acidic.  When the bubbles subside, return the pot to the heat.

Adjust the heat to maintain the mixture at a brisk simmer (too high it'll boil over; too low and the cooking time will seem interminable). Cook, stirring regularly, until the mixture turns pale golden, more or less one hour.

Now, begin stirring frequently as the mixture colors to caramel-brown and thickens to the consistency of maple syrup (you'll notice the bubbles becoming larger and glassier).  Stir regularly so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.