When did we start calling sweet pleasure (ha! that sounds dirty) “treats”?
I was listening to a Jillian Michael’s Podcast while I was trekkin’ my treat-lovin’ ass on the treadmill this week and she got me thinking. Evidently Oprah may have started the whole “treat” phenomenon as a way to describe some kind of gratification for doing something well. Now I’m not ordinarily an Oprah kinda gal but I have to admit – she’s infiltrated our every day lives with this and for that, I’m grateful. Anything that brings more “treats” into my life – both real and imaginary – is okay by me.
But seriously. When I was younger, I used to just say I was going to have a chocolate bar. Or on hot Sunday afternoons we’d go get an ice cream cone. Or if a sweet craving hit when I was home alone, I’d crawl up on the kitchen counter, pull the Tupperware container of semi-sweet chocolate chips off the second shelf and mow down. I should mention that icing sugar was fair game in this particular situation as well. Regardless, I don’t really remember anyone ever saying “you want a treat?”
If I remember right, we used to ask our beloved family Cocker-Spaniel – Sandy Dog – if she wanted a treat when she was good. Does that mean we’ve suddenly started thinking of ourselves as dogs? Just drooling, tail wagging, poopin’ in the grass four legged domesticated canines?
I’m not gonna lie – when it comes to dulce de leche… I kind of am. And I’m pretty sure right now Jillian Michaels is just shaking her head and yelling at me to run harder bitch! But for dulce de leche, it’s kind of worth it. And by kind of, I mean absofuckinglutely.
Hold onto your fine-lookin’ butts, my darlings. This is one mother of a recipe!
Those of you who subscribe to my newsletter know that I’m a little obsessed with dulce de leche. And if you don’t, you may have gathered by now that I’m all about brown sticky sweet stuff. That, and alcohol. Gimme a jar – one of each please – and I’m one happy lady. Now put your hands together and you’ve got Boozy Dulce de Leche. Bow wow wow yippie yo yippie yay!
Boozy Dulce de Leche
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 1 250ml jar
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 C Brown Sugar
- 3 Tbsp Bourbon
- 1/2 Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 4 Tbsp of Butter, room temp.
- To serve: Few Pinches of Maldon Sea Salt
Instructions
- Mix sugar, butter, milk and bourbon together until smooth, let simmer for 5-7 minutes over medium-heat, whisking constantly.
- Remove from heat and let stand to thicken.
- Using a piping bag or a warm knife, drizzle slowly over Cinnamon Sugar Cookies, slather on cake or just eat straight out of the jar. Sprinkle with sea salt while still hot.
Notes
Adapted from http://petitechouette.com/
What’s your “treat” fix? Any podcasts I should know about? Family pets? Am I thinking about this too much?