Latik, a Filipino dessert topping, is made by cooking down coconut milk or coconut cream for hours until it separates into fried coconut curds (latik) and coconut oil. It's an amazing cross that tastes like brown sugar and dessicated coconut.
Simmer gently over low heat while stirring periodically to prevent burning.
Continue to simmer until the milk reduces to a thick cream, about an hour.
Continue heating and stirring periodically until the cream separates into coconut oil and latik - about 45 minutes.
Monitor the latik closely, watching for it to turn a deep caramel brown color - about 30 minutes.
Turn the heat off as soon as the curds turn a deep caramel brown color.
Use a coffee filter or a fine sieve to separate the coconut oil from the latik.
Notes
It yields about 1/4 cup for latik. It's not much, but you don't need to use a lot of it to make a big impact.This process will take less time if you use only the coconut cream (the solid part on top of the can). However, you won't end up with quite as much latik.Latik lasts for several days on the counter or a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.I got the technique for making latik from Jun Belen of Jun-Blog. The photographs on his site are fabulous and worth checking out for additional reference.