Cajeta (Mexican Goat's Milk Caramel)

In a small bowl, dissolve ½ teaspoon baking soda in 2 tablespoons of goat milk. Set aside.

In a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine remaining goat milk (almost 4 cups), 1 cup brown sugar or grated piloncillo, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick. *See recipe notes about cinnamon

Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a gentle simmer.

Once the milk is simmering, reduce the heat to low and slowly stir in the dissolved baking soda. This helps the milk caramelize smoothly and prevents clumping and over foaming.

Let the mixture simmer low and slow, stirring frequently. The milk will foam and thicken gradually. This usually takes about 1–1½ hours.

Stop cooking slightly before it has reached your desired consistency, because it will continue to thicken as it cools. *If you prefer a texture that allows for drizzling, stop when the cajeta lightly coats the back of a spoon but still drips off easily. If you prefer a thicker spreadable texture, stop cooking when the cajeta fully coats the back of a spoon without much dripping.

Remove from heat, discard the cinnamon stick (if used), and stir in ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.

Let the cajeta cool before transferring it to a clean, airtight jar. Refrigerate for up to 1 month.