Sweetened condensed (goat) milk

We have goats that provide milk for our family.  When we wanted to make Magic Bars, I thought we should make our own sweetened condensed milk.  And we did!  It's easy, insanely easy.

Sweetened condensed milk
Makes just under 2 cups
(this is a double recipe, you could half it)

3 cups whole milk
1 cup granulated sugar
splash vanilla extract (optional, but please dont skip it)

In a medium sauce pan, mix together the milk and sugar. Use a wooden spoon to mark the level of liquid. Over medium heat, warm the milk-sugar mixture until just steaming. Then lower the heat and simmer for about 2 hours, or until it thickens slightly. Use the wooden spoon to test the level.  When the mixture has reduced by about half, stir in the vanilla extract. You can use it warm for your magic bars or cool completely and store it in a jar in the fridge.

Ricotta Salata

This is my first pressed cheese.  It's super easy and delicious.  The trickiest part is remembering to salt it daily.

Ricotta Salata

Ricotta
Salt

First, make ricotta.  This is my favorite recipe.  During the straining step, let it strain overnight in the fridge.  Then shape the ricotta and wrap it in a fresh cheesecloth.  Put a weight on top of it for a few hours (or more, overnight in the fridge is fine).

Next up, salting!  Salt the cheese with about a teaspoon of salt and either wrap in plastic wrap or place in a small container.  Every day, remove the cheese from the wrap/container and pour off any whey.  Salt it again with about a teaspoon and wrap it up again.  Repeat for a week, then taste.  You can salt less often after the first week.

We like the cheese around day 10, but you can age it for 3 weeks.  Make sure you salt it!