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Dous makos
Dous makos: Petit-Goâve's three-layer milk fudge
Petit-Goâve, on Haiti's southern coast, is famous for one sweet: dous makos, a soft milk fudge set in three bands of cream, pink and cocoa brown, sold wrapped in paper to travellers passing through. It is made by slowly cooking milk and sugar with cinnamon and lime peel until it turns thick and pale toffee, then colouring and layering it in a tin. The common mistake is stopping too soon; undercooked fudge stays sticky and won't slice, so cook until it leaves the pan sides cleanly. A heavy pan and a long spoon make all the difference. Chef's tip: add a pinch of bicarbonate of soda with the milk; it stops the milk from catching and splitting during the long boil.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
- 1 litre whole milk
- 1 ⅛ lb sugar
- 1 pinch bicarbonate of soda
- 2 strips lime peel
- 1 oz butterplus extra for the tin
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 drops red food colouring
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Butter a 20 cm square tin. Put 1 litre whole milk, 1 ⅛ lb sugar, 1 pinch bicarbonate of soda, 1 cinnamon stick and 2 strips lime peel in a large heavy saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
8 minStep 2: Boil steadily over a medium heat for 40–50 minutes, stirring often and constantly towards the end, until the mixture turns pale caramel, thickens like porridge and pulls away from the base and sides as you stir (about 250°F).
45 minStep 3: Take off the heat, lift out the cinnamon and peel, and beat in 1 oz butter and 1 tsp vanilla extract for 1 minute until it starts to lose its gloss.
1 minStep 4: Working quickly, spread a third into the tin. Stir 3 drops red food colouring into the next third in the pan and spread it over. Stir 1 tbsp cocoa powder into the last third and spread it on top.
Step 5: Leave to cool for 1 hour, then cut into squares while still slightly warm and let them firm up completely before lifting out. Keep in an airtight tin for a week.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dous makos take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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