Thursday Recipe - Cajeta Sauce

I can't find this recipe now that I'm looking for it, but when I ran across this online, it sounded so deceptively simple and easy. Just put these few ingredients in your crockpot, let it cook for about 24 hours, and walah! caramel sauce. I love caramel sauce, but I have a bad habit of burning it. Plus most recipes call for cream, something I never buy. I thought, this is in my crockpot, no way am I going to burn it or ruin it. Crockpots are so very forgiving.

Um, no. I think I've ruined my crockpot. I loaded everything up, followed the recipe, and for the first eight hours, it looked great. Then I went to bed, thinking I had plenty of time. Next morning, when I checked, my caramel sauce was a horribly burnt black and lumpy atrocity. I don't think I'm going to ever get it out of the crock.

Here's the recipe. If you can get it to work, great, but be warned. I suggest you start this in the evening and let it cook all night, then keep a really close eye on it the next morning. Instead of 24 hours, it probably only needs about 15.

Anyone out there have a great caramel sauce recipe that is almost foolproof? Other than buying caramel sauce at the store or melting pre-made caramels. I need something from scratch without a lot of extra ingredients. If you share a good one with me, I just might reward you with one of these:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Rival-2-Qt-Slow-Cooker-White/15556579

or something similar.

Cajeta Sauce (Caramel Sauce) (My version of what happened that hopefully won't happen to you if you try this recipe. You have been warned.)

2 quarts milk (I used 2% cow's milk)
2 c. sugar
1 stick cinnamon
1/2 t. baking soda dissolved in 1 T. water
(Don't be fooled. This looks so easy and simple. Ha!)

Pour milk in crockpot. Stir in sugar, cinnamon and baking soda mixture. Stir well. Cook uncovered on high. Stir it about once an hour until the sugar is completely dissolved and no longer is sludge in the bottom. This takes about three or four hours. Let cook for about another twelve hours until the sauce is thick and caramel colored. Stir every few hours to make sure it's cooking evenly. Stop cooking before it turns black and starts smoking.

When it's smooth and delicious and thick and caramelly, remove it from the crockpot, strain any lumps, cool, then store in a covered jar in your refrigerator. Enjoy your delicious caramel sauce, you lucky devil.

Meanwhile, I think I'm going shopping. For caramel sauce and a new 2-qt crockpot.