Grocery Ninja: What to Do With Condensed Milk
The Grocery Ninja leaves no aisle unexplored, no jar unopened, no produce untasted. Creep along with her below, and read all her mission reports here.
Dulce de leche, sweet and creamy. Pinot & Dita on Flickr
My daily poison is two shots of espresso with a dollop of condensed milk. I've been drinking the stuff forever (my grandma makes very potent coffee with pantyhose—otherwise known as "the sock"—and also introduced me to the pleasures of dipping Marie biscuits and fluffy white bread in said brew for breakfast). Last week, my colleagues walked in on my coffee ritual and did a collective double-take.
"What's that?" they asked, "You don't use creamer? What about half-and-half? No sugar? Not even fake sugar?"
I had to explain that I like my coffee uber-strong. That the average percolated coffee reminds me of the water used to wash out the coffee machine. And that I find condensed milk ideal for enriching coffee because it does so without diluting the flavor of the coffee.
As it turns out, my colleagues have never used condensed milk in anything other than the likes of Key lime or lemon meringue pie, fudge, flan, and random candies. I have therefore taken it upon myself to spread the good word on condensed milk: its versatility, its economy, its utter gloriousness.
Two shots of expresso, a dollop of condensed milk, and ice. huong-lan on Flickr
My absolute favorite use of condensed milk is in coffee, of course. Hot, or iced, Asians and Europeans have a common love for very strong coffee with little frou frou. The iced version, I've been told, tastes like the equivalent of a double scoop of vanilla ice cream melted into a coffee milkshake - just think of the calories (and arteries!) saved with just one tablespoon of condensed milk in a double shot of espresso.
My second favorite use of condensed milk is to whiz a generous dollop of it with the flesh of a ripe avocado and a handful of ice to get a Pinoy favorite: avocado milkshake. Don't knock it before you've tried it—the stuff is rich, creamy, and addictive. And so is a simple avocado when halved, pitted, and cradling condensed milk in its hollows—one minute of prep and you're ready to dig in.
Golden twists of fluffy dough served piping hot for dredging in creamy condensed milk. kevincrumbs on Flickr
In Chinese restaurants, a common dessert is fried mantou or buns served golden brown, crisp-crackly on the outside, fluffy soft on the inside, and piping hot all over. These are dredged in an accompanying bowl of condensed milk by eager diners trying not to burn their fingers (or mouths).
The same condensed milk treatment is given to crepes and roti prata (flaky, many-layered flatbreads, crisp and rich with ghee - what I like to call the "Asian croissant"), which act as vehicles for delivering milky goodness.
Thick, fluffy toast griddled over a charcoal flame, slathered in peanut butter, then drizzled with condensed milk. umami on Flickr
Thick toast griddled over a charcoal fire, then slathered with peanut butter and liberally drizzled with condensed milk is a Hong Kong cha chaan teng (tea house) institution. As you can guess, the concoction is sticky, rich, and sweet enough to leave one feeling slightly queasy—unless shared with fellow dessert fiends. A more restrained version can be made at home: simply make toast and drizzle with condensed milk. You could of course, up the ante by making french toast. Or Nutella-stuffed, banana french toast. In fact, Nestlé even makes convenient squeeze bottles of the stuff to facilitate no-mess drizzling.
At roadside ice-cream carts in Asia, ice-cream sandwiches (a slice of white bread enveloping scoops of Neapolitan ice-cream) can be ordered with healthy lashings of condensed milk atop. And if that doesn't cool you off enough, you can go on to order shaved ice desserts drizzled with rainbow hued syrups and yet more condensed milk.
Line a glass with condensed milk, top off with a double shot of expresso, enjoy. HKmPUA on Flickr
Couldn't resist the cute logo. xiaming on Flickr
But the one use of condensed milk that surprised even my espresso-and-condensed milk-loving/maniac alfajor-baking Argentinean housemate is as a shortcut to making dulce de leche. Seriously. Instead of standing over a stove and stirring milk and sugar for hours, waiting for it all to reduce to a beautiful, buttery caramel, you can simply pressure cook condensed milk - while they're still in their cans. The recipe is simple: Remove the paper liners on the cans, submerge the cans completely in water. Pressure cook the cans - 30 minutes for a more spreadable product (for sandwiching lemony shortbread before rolling in desiccated coconut, for instance), and 20 minutes for a more pourable product (to replace boring old buttercream on cake). The cans won't explode, I promise. But you have to be patient and wait till the cans are completely cool before opening.
And then, it's just a hop, skip, and flourish of a can opener before the grand harvest. Oh, and here's a tip: condensed milk is way cheaper in ethnic grocery stores. For some strange reason, the cans usually run upwards of $3 each in my local Safeway, but the same Nestlé brand (albeit with Chinese and/or Vietnamese characters) retails for only $1.40 each at Ranch 99. Make sure you read ingredient labels though—some brands of condensed milk contain palm oil. You want to be sure to get the pure milk and sugar ones as I'm fairly certain that the palm oil will mess with your finished dulce de leche!
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82 Comments:
Awesome. I've never seen the squeeze containers of sweetened condensed milk before. That's a great idea. I've generally limited my use of it to making dulce de leche (here are a couple alternate methods) or in making desserts... otherwise I'd use a bit and the rest of the can would go to waste.
Note that if you don't like your coffee extremely strong, sweetened condensed milk will add a distinctive taste to it that you may or may not like...
kitchenhacker at 11:56AM on 03/23/09
Do you mean condensed milk, or sweetened condensed milk? They're different things.....
Schlappette at 12:03PM on 03/23/09
I love the stuff. I can eat it by the spoonful.
simon at 12:04PM on 03/23/09
Iced coffee with condensed milk is served at almost all Vietnamese restaurants and is called Cafe Sua Da. Often times they will bring a tall glass filled with ice and condensed milk at the bottom, and place a small tin on top from which strong, dark coffee percolates into the glass. Mix and enjoy!
mcebacal at 12:07PM on 03/23/09
One of my favorite afternoon snacks my mom or grandma would make would be buttered toast or pan de sal or Eggo waffles or Hawaiian sweet rolls drizzled with sweetened condensed milk.
Cafe sua da is one of the only ways I'll drink coffee.
manda at 12:17PM on 03/23/09
After my mom emptied the can into a glass jar, she would pour hot water in it and let me drink the hot sweetened concoction. She also put in on white bread and boy was it delish!!!
pequenalooloo at 12:23PM on 03/23/09
Like mcebacal, I have discovered the wonder of Vietnamese coffee. It's so rich and dark and creamy and delicious. You're on to something here.
bitchinlifestyle at 12:28PM on 03/23/09
I too like my coffee uber strong (I only drink illy espresso at home), and I looove condensed milk so I have to try this! It sounds wonderful!
caramel at 12:34PM on 03/23/09
We go through condensed milk quickly at our place because we use it with coffee, to make Thai iced tea, as a dip for strawberries, as an ingredient in tres leche cake, on shave ice w/ taro or mung beans, sometimes azuki beans, and a few spoonfuls just by itself...so, yeah, we're heavy users...addicts?
I love avocado milkshakes! I'll have to try the toast, peanut butter, condensed milk combo.
Such an evil article while I'm stuck at work!!
Cassaendra at 12:39PM on 03/23/09
take a can of condensed milk and add the juice of many limes (until its as limey as you prefer) small loaf pan, take the small marias cookes and layer cookes and the lime milk, then freeze. hot water bath, upside down, cover with home made whipped cream, freeze again.. then slice and serve. DELICIOUS.
seikel at 12:40PM on 03/23/09
@seikel - that sounds SO good, but what are marias cookies?
caramel at 12:43PM on 03/23/09
One of my favorite desserts is condensed milk spread on a thin sponge cake and then rolled up like a jelly roll.
KitchenVixxen at 12:47PM on 03/23/09
I know somewhere there is a recipe for making carmel frosting in the can anyone know what i'm talking about and care to share?
Sigilum at 12:59PM on 03/23/09
I love my squeeze bottle. I condensed milk in iced coffee or just straight onto a spoon.
shoneyjoe at 1:03PM on 03/23/09
Schlappette: Hmmm... it was my understanding that the two terms have become synonymous. Sorry, my bad! Where have you found condensed milk sans sugar? It sounds like something I should track down and experiment with in the kitchen!
onedaylingers at 1:10PM on 03/23/09
Do you all use squeeze bottles? Are there any other ideas for storage??
tartuffed at 1:10PM on 03/23/09
seikel: That sounds ridiculously good. Is there a name for it? I googled Marias cookies and found this: http://www.geocities.com/nenslo/maria/maria.html
It looks very similar to Marie biscuits - are they the same?
onedaylingers at 1:13PM on 03/23/09
I just found the answer to my question: Maria cookies = Marie biscuits
Different name, same delicious condensed milk vehicle ;)
onedaylingers at 1:14PM on 03/23/09
Sigilum: 20-minute pressure cooker dulce de leche makes an excellent, pourable, caramel frosting for cake ;)
onedaylingers at 1:19PM on 03/23/09
tartuffed: I keep an open can in the fridge with an aluminium foil lid. My current can has been in there for almost three weeks with no signs of flagging. I'm very careful to use a clean, dry spoon for scooping though.
onedaylingers at 1:21PM on 03/23/09
Wh-what? Leftover condensed milk? Surely you jest! :)
Cassaendra at 1:25PM on 03/23/09
Schlappette: i think you are talking about evaporated milk, no sugar.
we ate it on waffles growing up, too. yum. i love a good avocado shake!!!!
in hawaii, you can get thai iced coffees from starbucks with the condensed milk. i always wondered why that wasn't popular on the mainland, too.
my mom grew up in thailand where babies were given a can of condensed milk to nurse on.
dmarina at 1:44PM on 03/23/09
@onedaylingers: Ahhh... you know what? I got my terms mixed up. I was thinking of *evaporated milk*. I find evaporated milk right alongside the sweetened condensed milk, usually in the baking section. And evaporated milk is just condensed milk, which it is said can be diluted with water to bring it back to be "real milk" again. Personally I haven't ever used it like that, but have used it in cooking. Sorry for the confusion!
Schlappette at 1:44PM on 03/23/09
Nothing is yummier than a nice cup of Indian Spice tea from Subzi Mandi grocery with a spoonful of condensed milk stirred in. Hot, spicy, creamy..it is heaven in a mug.
Hubby also likes it spread on bread with preserves..or eaten right off the spoon.
TattooedCheese at 1:45PM on 03/23/09
My mum was making dulce leche out of condensed milk before you could buy it ready made in the UK, and even though you can buy it in jars now its so cost effective to make your own their is no reason to buy the ready made stuff
Edwardkimuk at 1:52PM on 03/23/09
@schlappette - Are you thinking of condensed milk vs evaporated milk?
caramel at 1:54PM on 03/23/09
Oops ... I should've read first before posting.
caramel at 1:55PM on 03/23/09
TattooedCheese: You now have me craving a good, strong terracotta cuppa chai with a generous spoonful of condensed milk stirred in. But I'm at my workplace, which is chai-less as chai-less can be =(
I guess I'll have to make do with musings of "hot, spicy, and creamy" till I knock off!
onedaylingers at 2:19PM on 03/23/09
Here in Brazil the two major uses for condensed milk are doce de leite (dulce de letche) and brigadeiros (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigadeiro).
guslanzetta at 2:36PM on 03/23/09
I adore condensed milk and use it a lot in coffee/desserts.
One of my favorite childhood memories would be sitting down in front of the TV after school to watch the pinoy knockoff of Sesame Street (with Pong Pagong!) with a plateful of Sunflakes crackers drizzled with condensed milk. Sweet, salty, crunchy, creamy, in each bite. YUM.
I like to use condensed milk when making pinoy hot chocolate (using the tableas). It smooths out the bitter, nutty richness from the tsokolate and gives such a thick creaminess in the mouth. Awesome. If there's leftover tsokolate, I use that to make champorado...which I then drizzle with a bit more condensed milk.
Oh man. Now I'm REALLY hungy.
lorelei76 at 2:43PM on 03/23/09
@Schlappette: "And evaporated milk is just condensed milk"
You meant "concentrated" condensed means made something heavier (ala adding sugar to evaporated milk).
claypot at 3:21PM on 03/23/09
lorelai76: Will you share how you make tsokolate? I have a pack of tableas that's been sitting in my pantry, looking forlorn. Is a batidor absolutely necessary to get the nice, creamy froth?
onedaylingers at 3:36PM on 03/23/09
@caramel these are marias.. mexican then cracker style cookies.. kinda like nilla wafers.. less nilla, more wafer. http://www.mexgrocer.com/5616.html
seikel at 5:07PM on 03/23/09
Definitely NO need for a batidor. I cheat and use my blender or stick blender or whathaveyou (I find the blender gives me crazy froth).
It's a longish process, but worth it.
What I do is put cold water in a heavy saucepan, add a pinch of salt and add your tableas (do you have the largeish tablets or the home-made balls of tsokolate? I use the balls - a neighbor from the town I grew up in makes them and I brought a bag of it back to the US. The balls are bigger than a golfball, and 1 ball= 1 cup of water. So my instructions might not work as well as the tableas are processed much more finely. The balls that I use are hand ground with peanuts so it's awesomely gritty.) If you have the tablets, use less water - 1/2 to 3/4 cup for a tablet?
Turn on the heat to medium. And then leave your tableas and water alone. Just let the water heat up and start dissolving the tableas. Once the water starts to boil and you start getting bubbles on the surface, stir and break up the rest of your tableas. Stir till fully dissolved and it's nice and hot.
It'll be dark, bitter and gritty. If it's not, turn the heat down, and add a couple more tableas. It needs to be really dark and bitter to cut the supersweetness of the condensed milk. I actually add a teaspoon or so of chunky peanut butter into the mixture at this point. My grandma drinks it straight up like this (and makes it w/about half the water I use). None of that pansy-ass sugar business for her. It tastes like smokey espresso, with peanuty undertones when drunk like this.
Pour into a blender and start pulsing it while adding the condensed milk till it gets to the 1) taste 2) consistency 3) color that you like. For almost 4 cups of tsokolate, I use anywhere from 1/2 - 3/4 of a can of condensed milk. (I'm pansy ass, I like it sweet).
Other variations: rather than peanut butter, add some cinnamon and chile powder (not the taco seasoning stuff, but the spicy hot stuff.) Awesomesauce.
OM NOM NOM NOM NOM.
When I don't have condensed milk, I just cook the tsokolate with skim milk, and then add sugar when I'm frothing it. Not as thick in the mouth though.
lorelei76 at 6:21PM on 03/23/09
About the dulce de leche tip: if you accidentally fall asleep and let most of the water boil out of the pan, the can WILL explode and the caramel be a total pain to scrape off of your kitchen ceiling. Not that I, um, know that from experience or anything.
Hedra at 7:51PM on 03/23/09
You can make ice cream with out an ice cream maker using condensed milk.
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp of extract, prefered flavor
1.) With an electric mixer, beat the whipping cream until thickened into a soft cream.
2.) Add condensed milk and extract. Mix until combined.
3.) Freeze for at least 4 hours.
I actually like this recipe a lot. But the ice cream doesn't necessarily come out as smooth as I'd like. I'd like to try pulling it out of the freezer every once in a while before it freezes fully and doing some electric mixer on it.
Then you can make dulce de leche and pour it on that ice cream.
wunami at 8:20PM on 03/23/09
My grandma, who lived through the depression loves to dip homemade shortbread cookies in coffee and condensed milk. It is delicious!
Red_Icculus at 10:43PM on 03/23/09
lorelai76: You are awesome, thank you so much for sharing! I have the tablets and now know what to do with them (I like the pb tip ;) And I'm definitely going to try cinnamon, chile, and your grandma's way!
onedaylingers at 11:00PM on 03/23/09
Tartuffed, I don't dirty another squeeze-bottle for an opened can of condensed milk. I buy the Nestle stuff that comes in a squeeze-bottle. So good.
Except that it looks and feels a lot like my squeezy mayonnaise when I'm stumbling about in the morning. Mayo does not go well in coffee.
shoneyjoe at 1:01AM on 03/24/09
@lorelai76 Holy crap, that sounds amazing. Must try that.
missmanders at 1:03AM on 03/24/09
I hadn't had sweetened condensed milk for years--until a few nights ago when I made hot fudge sauce for my kids. I couldn't resist licking the inside of the lid and I literally swooned. This is why I don't keep it stocked in my pantry-- I could do some serious damage with a can opener and a spoon!
carhoff at 1:36AM on 03/24/09
Don't forget about condensed milk on shaved ice! Combined with adzuki beans and mochi and green tea - The best dessert in summer!
There is an product called "milk jam" in Japan which is similar to condensed milk but even more "milky" taste and sweeter. It is heaven in a jar....
kobetobiko at 2:42AM on 03/24/09
@seikel - thanks so much - I'll be looking for them because I can't wait to try your recipe!
caramel at 8:45AM on 03/24/09
Red_Icculus: Your grandma has excellent taste ;) Now I'm thinking of baking coffee flecked shortbread and serving it with dulce de leche!
onedaylingers at 12:42PM on 03/24/09
kobetobiko: I looked up recipes for milk jam, and it seems like it would be an even richer condensed milk—given that it contains not just milk, but cream! I love condensed milk on shaved ice, with sesame mochi, warabi mochi, green tea syrup, and loads of sweetened adzuki beans... maybe even a flourish of kinako on top!(Can you tell I like my desserts extravagant ;)
onedaylingers at 12:52PM on 03/24/09
You don't have to use a pressure cooker to make DDL. You can also just simmer submerged in water. (probably takes longer to get the same result due to the lower temp)
hsawtelle at 12:58PM on 03/24/09
hsawtelle, how long do you typically have to simmer the cans of condensed milk in water for?
Maki Squarepatch at 1:59PM on 03/24/09
The brilliant David Leite has a recipe for making dulce de leche in the oven. He uses a water bath and it takes between 60–75 minutes. His recipe here:
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2005/11/dulce_de_lechec.html
onedaylingers at 3:25PM on 03/24/09
Try it on fresh strawberries. Add vanilla extract to the condensed milk.
danrob54 at 5:29PM on 03/24/09
Miu miu!
Maki Squarepatch at 5:26PM on 03/25/09
@Maki: I have only done it once, and I did it in a temperature-controlled water bath at 190 overnight. (about 12 hours). The result was a very thick DDL. I bet a one-hour simmer would do it though.
hsawtelle at 12:45AM on 03/28/09
Great article! I tried condensed milk (w/ peanut butter) on toast, and Hong Kong-style Waffle sandwiches with condensed milk, this past week at Kowloon Tong Dessert Cafe in San Francisco. Pics:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/maxcriden/3386252771/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/maxcriden/3386253299/
maxcriden at 1:23AM on 03/28/09
Condensed milk is God on Steroids!
I used to buy Malt and mix it with condensed milk as a child and have the fondest dreams while drinking the stuff. As a adult, I use it in coffee and "as is" to satisfy trips to the refrigerator. :) I love condensed milk!
asg749d at 12:39PM on 03/28/09
I've got to beg to differ on the whole "Asians like their coffee strong" idea. I live in Korea and it's NEARLY impossible to get ground coffee. I've had to have people send me some from the states. Good god, the stuff they drink here comes from a stick--like pixy sticks but full of freeze-dried coffee, a pound of sugar and cream--just disgusting.
On another note, I am SO trying this to keep my home-brewed coffee as strong as possible. Delicious!!!
downhillguru at 9:21PM on 03/28/09
How funny you refer to the coffee apparatus as a "sock." When I visited my X-SIL in Costa Rica, she used a sock to brew excellent, really strong coffee every morning.
As for condensed milk, I like to do Thai coffee with it. :D
therealchiffonade at 9:31PM on 03/28/09
I'm making Banoffe pie tomorrow, and cooking down a can of sweetened condensed milk for it.
Mares at 12:00AM on 03/29/09
As mentioned many times above, sweetened condensed milk is truly coffee's best friend (espresso, Vietnamese, Thai, etc.): I also add it to my French-pressed coffee (which I always make extra strong).
For the Indonesian version of the avocado milkshake: add several dashes of very strong coffee into the mix, that's what I grew up with!
cucumberpandan at 3:34AM on 03/29/09
ahhh fellow foodies, I'm so glad to have discovered that my love of extra strong coffee with condensed milk is not mine along! It's the only way to make office coffee drinkable. In Australia, we can get low fat condensed milk by Nestle.
threewiseOwls at 8:56AM on 03/29/09
I have to sincerely thank you all for this thread! For quite some time I've been trying to find the perfect balance of creamy & sweet to my coffee, without taking away from the coffee flavor itself... I've made dulce de leche for a favorite cookie recipe dozens of times, but never in a million years would I have thought to use sweetened condensed milk in coffee! It is absolutely perfect. Thank you, thank you!
paMom at 9:46AM on 03/29/09
I detest sweetened coffee, so you won't see me putting sweetened condensed milk in my coffee. But sweetened condensed milk in making desserts--that's another thing. My favorite pumpkin pie recipe is the one from Eagle Brand; it was also on the Comstock pumpkin can when that product existed, and it's even better than the Libby's recipe. And this is a pretty good brownie recipe; not my favorite because there's no way to reduce the sugar, except maybe by using less-sweet chocolate. But it is a good recipe.
miminqueens at 4:21PM on 03/29/09
Here's one more use. Take 2 lg pkgs 14 oz sweetened coconut, chopped various dried fruits, any nuts like walnuts/almonds/peanuts/ and some choc chips. Mix w/1 can of condensed milk. Form into balls on cookies sheet lined w/silicone or parchemnt. Flatten by hand- they do not spread. bake at 350 for 10 mins or until golded brown. Yummy and FILLED w/fiber!! very flexible as to ingredients, size, etc. Enjoy!
shozgirl at 4:25PM on 03/29/09
I just had a cup of hot tea with a teaspoon of condensed milk. bliss.
sybones at 4:31PM on 03/29/09
The next time you are making mashed potatoes, substitute your milk with unsweetened condensed milk. It makes marvelous, rich mashed potatoes!
reger60 at 6:15PM on 03/29/09
Do you mean evaporated milk? If not, what's the difference?
miminqueens at 6:25PM on 03/29/09
Toast, a schmear of Plugra, a thin layer of sweetened condensed milk. Omnomnomnom.
When I was little I also liked peanut butter and sweetened condensed milk together.
fuuchan at 7:02PM on 03/29/09
On second thought, the reason I don't make that brownie recipe anymore is because I've switched to a baking-powder-free recipe. But that pumpkin pie is still the best.
miminqueens at 10:02PM on 03/29/09
Come to think of it, a lot of Indonesian snacks/desserts use sweetened condensed milk (SCM) as a crucial ingredient. I have a few pics here: scroll down to the last two photos and you'll see 'roti bakar' (lit. grilled bread with a variety of fillings, grilled over charcoal, then topped with shredded cheese and swirls of SCM) and 'martabak manis' (which I like to describe as 'pancake/crêpe on steroids' ...). Both are very popular snacks sold by street vendors in Jakarta.
And I wish I have photos of myriad colorful shaved iced desserts which are always finished off by swirls of SCM and neon-colored syrups!
cucumberpandan at 4:21AM on 03/30/09
The best potato soup ever ---- 2 or 3 potatoes pealed and minced, 1 onion minced cover with water in sauce pan and cook til tender, salt and pepper, 1/2 stick of butter and 1 can of condensed milk.
when the kid were sick, we did'nt give em chicken soup, it was this potato soup!!!!! old chef
old chef at 9:37AM on 03/30/09
cucumberpandan: Avo milkshake with lashings of coffee sounds intriguing—now I'm stuck at the office wondering how the bitterness of coffee would play up against the slightly vegetal creaminess of avocado!
onedaylingers at 12:58PM on 03/30/09
shozgirl: Your recipe sounds like it would make excellent an energy booster for long runs/hikes/biking and kayaking trips. Thanks!
onedaylingers at 1:01PM on 03/30/09
cucumberpandan: The murtabak manis looks out of this world! We have something similar (but nowhere near as decadent) in Singapore with the same type of "honeycomb" pancake enveloping thick, rich peanut paste. Yums =) I now need to visit Jakarta so I can try tape singkong!
onedaylingers at 1:05PM on 03/30/09
There seems to be a bit of confusion over names and some of it may come from where you were introduced to the product and where a product was packaged.
Here's a good example: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/ConMilk.htm
GuaranteedGF at 1:17PM on 03/30/09
I simmer 5 or 6 at a time in a big pot for 4 to 5 hours, make sure you keep it covered with water, when it cools you can keep them in the fridge for several months. You can use as caramel topping, or put a can in a graham crust and top with coolwhip, great fast dessert, very rich. For the people that keep saying condensed or sweetened condenced??? they said SWEETENED condensed several times in the article and they even put a picture. Wake up people!
queenlalisa at 1:28PM on 03/30/09
Evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk are two completely different things, and you better make sure which one you need for your recipe!
queenlalisa at 1:34PM on 03/30/09
Evaporating and condensing milk are both similar. In both you are removing water and other volatiles.
Remember your simple chemisty where you set something over a bunsun burner with a twisty, water-cooled condenser above to return the "steam" back into water phase ... that liquid was called condensate?
Anyway, obviously, the sweetened condensed also has added sugar. For some reason I don't know, they call the other concentrated milk without sugar 'evaporated' milk.
I don't think it has anything to do with adding sugar to make it denser or heavier, IMHO.
Lisa
lab2000lab at 6:14PM on 03/30/09
@onedaylingers: the coffee-laced avocado shake (and don't forget lots of SCM, of course) is out of this world, IMHO :) Sadly many vendors here have taken to replacing the coffee with chocolate syrup -- it just adds to the sweetness without creating any depth or another 'dimension' of flavor. (Or maybe they just use cheap chocolate syrup ...)
So for the one fortified with coffee, it's always homemade. Since you're already making your own espresso, it's the perfect ingredient. Add the espresso (or strong brewed coffee) in small increments first, you don't want the coffee to overwhelm the avocado -- add just enough to create a mellow 'dark & smoky' balance to the sweet creaminess of the avocado and SCM. Happy tasty trials ahead!
cucumberpandan at 9:17PM on 03/30/09
Just tried an avocado shake, had a ripe 'cado available and whipped it up with condensed milk and ice but needed to add some normal milk as it got too thick to blend. I sprinkled some cinnamon sugar over it and it was like eating a green pudding - delicious. Next time I will try a dairy free version made with coconut milk.
threewiseOwls at 7:02AM on 03/31/09
You can make brigadeiros, Brazilian chocolate caramels, yum yum yum. Empty a can of condensed milk into a saucepan over low heat and stir in a tablespoonful of butter and 3 tablespoonsful of cocoa. Cook until thickened. Let cool until cool enough to handle. Butter your hands, roll into small balls, and then roll caramels in sprinkles, chocolate shot, or sweetened flaked coconut.
You can also dip your churros in sweetened condensed milk, too!
LadyMarmalade at 2:28PM on 03/31/09
Actually no, Lisa, I didn't take chemistry in high school ;)
miminqueens at 12:50AM on 04/01/09
cucumberpandan: Happy tasty trials, indeed! I see an avo shake with lashings of espresso and sweet, creamy condensed milk in my near future... probably this weekend =)
onedaylingers at 11:09AM on 04/01/09
I second crisp, golden, burn-your-fingers-hot churros dipped in condensed milk!
onedaylingers at 11:11AM on 04/01/09
My favorite recipe consists of a couple of spoonfulls of sugar, condensed milk and 7up.
Put the sugar in a tall glass add some condensed milk. Stir the mixture and then add the 7up or coca-cola.
Enjoy">http://www.coffee-makers-review.com/espresso-machines.html">Enjoy your coffee drink!
jmeer at 4:26AM on 09/02/09