How sweet it is ...

It's the 150th birthday of sweetened condensed milk, so it's only fitting to celebrate with recipes where this sticky-sweet concoction plays a starring role.

The Deseret Morning News asked readers for their favorite recipes, and we received a decadent array of cookies, pies, caramel, fudge, cheesecakes and more.

That's a far cry from sweetened condensed milk's original purpose in 1856, when Gail Borden Jr. patented a mixture of whole milk and sugar that was heated until over half of the water was evaporated and canned.

His Eagle Brand milk was hailed as a health food and was strongly linked to the nourishment of babies. At the time, there was no refrigeration or pasteurization, so fresh milk spoiled quickly. This new canned, sweetened milk could be stored and transported, and thus it became part of the military field rations during the Civil War, according to Borden Co. history. Earlier this year, Borden was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron, Ohio.

The concoction, sometimes called "condensed milk," shouldn't be confused with evaporated milk. Although much of the water is removed from evaporated milk, no sugar is added. In 1994, the Borden Co. launched a low-fat version that contained half the fat or the original product; a fat-free version made from skim milk came out in 1995.

Many other companies have come out with similar sweetened condensed milk products, usually found in stubby 14-ounce cans. The product is used all over the world, according to the Borden Co. In Hispanic countries, it's cooked into a rich, caramel-colored cream called "dulce de leche" (sweet milk), and its used in flan and "Tres Leches" (Three Milks) cake. In Vietnam, it stars in iced coffee; in India, it's used to make "kulfi" (ice cream) and pudding.

In 1931, a Borden Kitchens' promotion offered homemakers $25 for their original recipes. The rules called for "recipes in which Eagle Brand makes cooking quicker, easier and surer." The company received more than 80,000 submissions.

A two-tablespoon serving of sweetened condensed milk is 130 calories, with 30 calories from fat. There's no trans fat, 10 milligrams cholesterol, 45 milligrams sodium, 22 milligrams of total carbohydrates, with all of that being sugar.

It also provides 10 percent of a person's daily calcium needs. Should you opt for the fat-free version, you'll only save 20 calories per two-tablespoon serving.

CARAMEL POPCORN SAUCE

1 stick butter

2 cups brown sugar