Cabadas Michoacanas de Navidad

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide 4-quart cazo de cobre from Santa Clara del Cobre, clean and bright inside
• •Long wooden paddle or heavy wooden spoon
• •Candy thermometer
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Buttered metal tray, marble slab, or shallow Talavera plate

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the surface

   Butter a metal tray, marble slab, or shallow Talavera plate lightly and set it near the stove. Set the toasted almond halves beside it. Once the candy is ready, it will not wait while you look for a plate. La cocina no es decoración, es trabajo.

2. 2

   Toast the almonds

   Toast the blanched almonds on a dry comal or heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until they smell nutty and show pale gold edges. Chop one cup finely for the candy. Leave the almond halves or thick slivers whole for the tops.

   Do not let the almonds go dark. Burned almond turns bitter and will make the whole batch taste careless.
3. 3

   Dissolve the piloncillo

   Combine the piloncillo and water in the clean copper cazo over medium-low heat. Stir until the piloncillo dissolves into a dark syrup, 6 to 8 minutes. Strain it through a fine-mesh sieve if you see grit. Piloncillo is cane, not refined white sugar. That molasses depth is why the candy tastes like Michoacán and not like a factory caramel.

4. 4

   Start the milk

   Return the piloncillo syrup to the cazo. Add the milk, cinnamon stick, and salt. Bring it just to a gentle simmer, stirring with a wooden paddle. Sprinkle in the bicarbonato de sodio and stir immediately. The milk will foam, so lower the heat if it climbs. The bicarbonato helps the milk brown and keeps the texture smooth.

5. 5

   Reduce with patience

   Cook over medium-low heat, stirring every few minutes at first and constantly once it thickens. Scrape the bottom and sides with the paddle so no milk solids scorch. The color will move from beige to tan to a deep cajeta brown, and the bubbles will become heavier and slower. This takes 50 to 65 minutes in a wide copper cazo. No me vengas con atajos.

   If using enameled cast iron or heavy stainless steel, expect the cooking to take 10 to 20 minutes longer and the browning to be less even. It works. It is not the same.
6. 6

   Reach candy point

   Clip on a candy thermometer and cook until the mixture reaches 238 to 240F. If you do not use a thermometer, drop a little candy into a cup of cold water. It should form a soft ball that holds together when pressed, not dissolve into the water and not turn hard. Drag the paddle across the bottom of the cazo. The path should stay open for two seconds before closing.

7. 7

   Beat the candy

   Remove the cazo from the heat. Pull out the cinnamon stick. Let the candy sit for 5 minutes, then beat it hard with the wooden paddle. It will thicken, lose its glossy shine, and turn matte at the edges. This beating creates the tender bite. Without it, you made sticky milk sauce, not cabadas.

8. 8

   Fold in almonds

   When the candy holds ridges but is still soft enough to move, fold in the finely chopped toasted almonds. Work quickly and scrape from the bottom so the almonds distribute evenly. The candy should be thick, warm, and heavy, like a firm dulce de leche that has learned discipline.

9. 9

   Shape the cabadas

   Butter your hands lightly. Pinch off walnut-size pieces and roll them into small ovals or flattened bites. Press one toasted almond half or thick sliver into the top of each piece. Set them on the buttered tray with space between them. They do not need to be identical. In the canastas of Pátzcuaro, the hand of the cook is visible.

10. 10

    Set and store

    Let the cabadas set at room temperature for 1 hour, until they are firm at the edges and soft under the tooth. Store them between pieces of parchment in a tin or covered clay container. Do not refrigerate them unless your kitchen is very hot. Cold air makes milk candy sweat and turn grainy.

Chef Tips

• •Use a clean cazo de cobre with a bright interior and no green patina. If there is verdigris, scrub it properly or do not use it. Tradition is not an excuse for poisoning your family.
• •The milk matters. Use full-fat cow's milk, preferably pasteurized and not ultra-pasteurized. Evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk make a different candy. Convenient, yes. Cabadas, no.
• •Piloncillo should smell like cane, molasses, and warm earth. If it smells dusty or stale, keep looking. Pregúntale a las señoras del mercado.
• •The thermometer is useful, but the paddle tells the truth. When the mixture pulls away from the copper and holds a clean line, you are close. Watch the candy, not the clock.
• •These are December dulces, not restaurant petits fours. Serve them from a canasta or a clay plate with coffee de olla or atole. This is a 32-state cuisine, and Michoacán knows exactly how its sweets should sit on the table.

Advance Preparation

• •Cabadas can be made 5 to 7 days ahead and stored at room temperature in an airtight tin, layered with parchment.
• •Toast the almonds up to 3 days ahead and keep them in a sealed jar at room temperature.
• •Chop or grate the piloncillo the day before. That small job saves time when the milk is already in the cazo and demanding your attention.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 16g)