Ingredients you need: Two teacups of white caster sugar. One heaped
tablespoon of butter. Enough milk to soak into the sugar ( just under a
teacup should be enough -don't have it sloppy) 2/3 of a large tin of
condensed milk.
Kitchen equipment you need: A big saucepan. A wooden spoon or a
silicone spoon for stirring ( not metal as it will scratch the
saucepan). Some kind of flat baking tray or large plate for spreading the
cooked tablet. Either grease it lightly with butter or line it with
greaseproof paper so your tablet won't stick.
What to do next: Put the sugar, butter and milk in the saucepan and
slowly dissolve the sugar over a low heat until the mixture is thick and
smooth and golden brown. You have to do this very, very slowly so the sugar
doesn't burn and there is no grittiness left. Be patient! It will take at
least an hour to do this and you will have to stir the mixture over and over
so that the sugar at the bottom of the pot doesn't burn and stick. If the
mixture burns it goes black and bitter. When the mixture is almost too
thick to stir and is popping and swelling and rolling in the pot like caramel
lava you can take it off the heat and stir in the condensed milk. At this
point you have to keep the tablet just boiling and no more by putting it on
and off the low heat while you beat it as hard as you can. This is exhausting
and will get harder as the tablet becomes nearly too thick to beat. But you're
nearly there! Just keep going until the tablet starts to set and crystalise up
the sides of your saucepan. This means it's ready. Take it off the heat
and pour it on to your prepared plate or baking tray. Smooth it out with
the flat of a knife or the underside of a spoon. Mark into squares. Try
to let it cool down before you eat it. Why not scrape all the tablet crumbs
out the saucepan and eat them instead while you're waiting. Save on washing
up.
WARNING! The sugar mixture in the pot will smell incredible but
it will burn the mouth off you if you lick it without letting it cool down.
Seriously.