Michelle Darmody: Baking with condensed milk
Condensed milk is a sweet sticky ingredient that can be used in many ways. One of my favourite uses for it is in coffee. A drop of condensed milk transforms an espresso. I was first served coffee like this in South east Asia. Dairy is not very prevalent in the southeast Asian diet but sweetened condensed milk seems to have found its way into many kitchens.
There is a difference between evaporated milk and condensed. The evaporated version is not sweetened, it is simply milk that has been heated to remove much of the water content. With condensed milk sugar is added, as it is evaporating, which makes a more sticky viscous liquid.
You can make sweetened condensed milk at home by gently heating 450mls of full-fat milk with 130g of sugar. Allow the mixture to simmer over a low heat for about 40 minutes, skimming off any froth from the top. It will thicken and become slightly darker in colour. After 40 minutes it will have reduced in volume by about half. Pour it into a sterilised jar. It can be stored in the fridge for about a week.
More commonly, condensed milk is bought ready prepared in a tin. Boiling the tin unopened will allow the sugars to caramelise and the milk to form into a sweet, golden-coloured dulce de leche.
Banoffi pie became popular in the 1980s in Ireland. The dessert graced many dinner party tables. It makes good use of the milky toffee that forms when condensed milk is boiled. The recipe pairs it with a biscuit crumb base, banana and whipped cream. The recipes here suggest some other ways you can use condensed milk in your desserts.
Milk and coconut sweets
Mix the sugar and condensed milk together until combined. Stir in the coconut extract and desiccated coconut and again make sure everything is well combined. Roll the mix into approximately 14 balls and then roll each ball in the extra desiccated coconut. Place onto a plate and cover with a clean towel. Allow to set for an hour before serving. They will keep in an airtight container for up to a week.
Sweet milk tart
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees and grease and flour an 8in tart case.
Mix the flour and salt and then rub in the butter until it looks like rough breadcrumbs. Do not over mix. Stir the sugar into the egg, mix it lightly and add to the flour mixture. Rest the pastry for at least an hour in the fridge or over night.
Roll the pastry into a circle larger than the tart case. Gently press the disc into the tin. Trim any excess from the edges. Cover the base with parchment and baking beans. Bake blind for ten minutes. Remove the parchment and baking beans and set aside to cool. Reduce the oven to 180 degrees.
To make the filling, whisk the milks and sugar until light and fluffy, it will take about ten minutes. Pour the mixture into the tart case. Sprinkle with the nutmeg and bake for 30 minutes until it has set but still has a slight wobble in the centre. Allow to cool in the tin.
Caramel squares with a hint of citrus
Line a 9in square cake tin and heat the oven to 180C.
To make the shortbread combine the butter and the sugar until smooth. Add the flour and zest and slowly combine.
Press the dough into the base of the tin. Prick it all over with a fork and bake for five minutes at 180C, then reduce the oven to 150C and bake for a further 30 minutes, until golden.
In the meantime, add all of the ingredients for the caramel into a saucepan and heat for 10 minutes.
Allow the shortbread to cool for 20 minutes in the tin then pour the caramel on top. Allow to cool in the fridge until it has begun to harden.
Melt the chocolate with the butter and zest over a saucepan of boiling water. Do not stir while it is melting. Pour it over the caramel. Chill it in the fridge again and then cut it to whatever size squares you would like.
