Sweetened Condensed Milk Desserts
No Bake and Easy Custard Desserts
Not Just For Grandma's Coffee or Homemade Fudge. Discover the flexible pantry staple Sweetened Condensed Milk. No bake pies, no cook pudding and more.
My grandmother always had a few cans of Sweetened Condensed Milk on the shelf. It went into the coffee instead of cream and sugar and was always in the homemade fudge. I have come to rely on it for the ‘emergency’ creamer when we run out and for more than just fudge. Due to its reaction to citrus juice it has become a valuable addition to my ‘unexpected guest’ dessert solutions. Remember, sweetened condensed milk, not evaporated milk which is a whole other topic.
Sweetened Condensed Milk got its start in the mid 1800’s when Gail Borden, Jr. began trying to find a way to make shelf stable milk. He was on shipboard on a return trip from England when tainted milk caused the death of several children. That incident set the project in motion. Working from a vacuum condenser, created by the Shakers for use with fruit juice, Borden finally developed a safe, shelf stable milk product that has stood the test of time and is still in use. While Mr. Borden’s company does not make the product exclusively today the process goes back to him and his determination to make a milk product that was safe in long storage without refrigeration. (1)
Sweeten Condensed Milk is sold in a can and the can is sold by Weight not liquid volume, so don’t let recipes that show a particular brand and size can worry you. This can of magic elixir is a great start to many recipes, some which require little or no cooking. I’m going to start with one of my favorites. Pudding Cups.
Pudding Cups need no cooking and can be done in quick time for surprise visitors or a quick snack. No this is not a low calorie dessert, but since it is rich it is best served in small quantities. Save your calories on serving size not ingredients.
You will need:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
¼ cup lemon juice, lime juice, pineapple juice or orange juice or a mixture of two. Avoid using ‘juice drinks’. Those are more water than juice. If that is all that is available or you want to use the juice from canned fruit, start with adding by the tablespoon until you get the preferred consistency. With a bit of practice you will find that you don’t come out with something too runny from either too much or too little juice.
In a bowl, blend the milk and sour cream or yogurt well. Add the ¼ cup juice and mix thoroughly. The mixture will begin to thicken immediately. Spoon into ramekins, and chill. This version makes 4 servings, and is easily doubled. Variations: add drained canned fruit or fresh fruit layered in parfait glasses. For a chocolate variation add a tablespoon of cocoa powder before adding the juice, making sure it is mixed in thoroughly.
Next on my list of easy favorites is Fruit Tart. Fruit Tart can be done with fresh pastry or frozen pastry or a prepared crumb crust. Fresh fruit or canned can be used depending on the season and what is in your pantry if you are rushed.
You have a choice to make in this case. Baked custard or not. For the baked custard I prefer the sour cream to the yogurt for moisture content. Add 2 eggs to the mixture above before adding the juice. Bake the tart for approximately 20 – 25 minutes to set the custard. Let chill before finishing. Note: the baked custard is easier to cut and serve being thicker.
For the no bake version, use the mixture for the pudding cups. Prebake the tart shell or use the prepared crumb shell. Spread the mixture no deeper than ½ inch and let chill for 20 – 25 minutes. The thin layer of filling makes it easier to cut and serve cleanly.
Arrange the fruit over the top of the filling. With canned fruit you can use the juice from the can to create the glaze by cooking to reduce the volume. If the fruit was in syrup, even light syrup please don’t add further sugar, just reduce it. With fresh fruit I suggest a complimentary jelly thinned and drizzled over or honey.
Last but far from least is the one application that amazes and astounds more people I have come across when I tell them how its done. I even took this one on a cabin-camping trip with fellow writers for a working retreat. No Bake Cheese Cake Pie.
For one pie you will need:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 package of either cream cheese or Neufchatel soft cheese
¼ cup lemon juice
1 graham cracker or vanilla wafer pie shell.
Mix the cheese and milk, this will be fairly thick compared to the pudding or tart filling which is good. This filling has to stand up to cutting so thick is very desirable. Add the juice and blend thoroughly. Scoop the mixture into the prepared pie shell. Chill well, at least an hour.
The baked variation is also wonderful and is my recommendation if you are going to do any of the variations like adding pumpkin, fruit or chocolate. If you have the time to do the baked custard, please, do a fresh graham or vanilla wafer crumb crust. The flavor makes the extra effort worth it. Make the crust and line the baking dish with it (Use either a standard or deep dish pie pan. The deep dish is recommended if you are planning a fruit or whipped topping). Add 2 eggs and any other additional ingredients, by the tablespoon, to the mixture before adding the juice. This is not the same as the Pumpkin Custard. The pumpkin custard has no cream cheese and much more pumpkin puree and is another topic.
(1) Eagle Brand Home page – history http://www.eaglebrand.com/history.asp
(2) Carnation Brand Home page - http://www.verybestbaking.com/products/carnation/sweet/default.aspx
