Powdered Milk

[LizD518]

I was going to make hot cocoa mix for Christmas presents this year, but I don't like how any of my test batches have come out and I am scrapping the idea.

But that leaves me with a large quantity of powdered milk and no idea what to do with it. Ideally, I'd like to find something that I can make to substitute for the hot cocoa mix, so something that can be made in large batches and isn't too delicate. Any and all suggestions are welcome!

[thock]

I don't know what kind of powdered milk you have (instant/non-instant, fat-free/whole), but I use powdered milk for a lot of things. I use it when making bread dough that calls for milk (mix up the quantity needed, 3.2 dry ounces to the quart), put some in oatmeal that I also mix up with brown sugar and a little salt for quick morning "instant" oatmeals, use it in coffee as a creamer, and believe it or not, I LIKE the taste of reconstituted milk, so I mix it up and drink it chilled. But then, I'm a milkaholic, so don't go by me.

I make hot cocoa using non-fat, non-instant dry milk, but you could use instant, as well. I'm not sure how this would do in a mix, though, but you're welcome to experiment some more...Be warned, this is a mixture of weights and volumetric measures, because I'm weird, and that's how I developed the mixture.

3.2 oz dry milk powder

4 T dutch-processed cocoa powder

6 T sugar (regular granulated)

1 t vanilla extract

1/2 t almond extract

The almond extract is what really makes it, IMNSHO.

ETA: This is also really good with non-instant whole milk powder.

Edited again to fix silly doubling of milk powder. 3.2 oz, NOT 6.4.

Edited December 14, 2010 by thock (log)

[mrose]

Several years ago, Jacques Torres offered a hot chocolate recipe:

1.5 cups chocolate

0.5 cups whole powdered milk

pinch cinnamon

1 orange zest

heat 1 cup milk & 1/2 cup mix till it dissolves & reaches desired temp

add marshmallows

[CanadianBakin']

Might not work for gifting but this is one of the few things I use powdered milk for: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/100-whole-wheat-sandwich-bread-recipe

[LizD518]

Has anyone used powdered milk in making fudge? I found an old fashioned fudge recipe that calls for cocoa and milk, and I'm thinking of using the powdered milk for that. Bonus that it would be a good item for making in large batches and giving away.

[Jenni]

A word of warning:

There's an Indian sweet called peda which is traditionally made from khoa - milk that is cooked down in a pan until it becomes solid. Many modern recipes try to give a short cut by calling for powdered milk. However, they just don't taste right, and in fact to me they taste down right disgusting. So I would say that if the milk makes up a large proportion of the recipe, then the very different taste of powdered milk may not be suitable. The sweet may end up tasting cheap and not very home-made.

[HungryC]

I seem to remember several of the recipes (in some food mag, can't remember which one) from Momofuko Milk Bar using powdered milk....candied/caramelized cornflakes, and other such wonders. Oh, wait, it was Bon Appetite: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2010/09/momofuku_milk_bar_pastries

[paulraphael]

It will improve most ice cream recipes. You can also improve most brown butter recipes by whisking a small percentage of it into the melted butter before browning (it's the milk solids that brown and give the flavor; dry milk is 100% milk solids).

[Sebastian]

If you've got a good mixer, rehydrate it and make caramel (if it's NFDM, doesn't work as well with whole milk powder)

[Lisa Shock]

My favorite use is in beurre noisette, used to increase the amount of browned milk solids. Just add to the butter before the browning starts.

[LizD518]

I made a few batches of fudge. The milk powder worked great. It doesn't use up much, but it didn't affect the taste. Unfortunately, I had trouble getting the syrup up to temperature without burning and ended up pulling it off the stove too early in both cases. Right now I have a nice fudge sauce for ice cream waiting in the fridge...

[naguere]

Powdered milk is excellent for enriching a bread mix

[stuartlikesstrudel]

Can someone please clarify for me what exactly non-fat dry milk is... in Australia I've seen powdered milk and low-fat, but not non-fat. Is it just that ALL the fat has been removed instead of just some? When is the difference so important (if you're adding the same volume to a recipe - lets say icecream - I would have thought that a bit of extra fat wouldn't be a problem)...

[thock]

Yeah, all the fat has been removed. Theoretically, it has a longer shelf life that way, and I think that's why it's done, in part. The other part is that in the U.S., at least, surplus milk is dehydrated, and most of the surplus milk is skim milk (or non-fat) because the cream gets used for, well, cream, and for cheese.

[tmriga]

Alton Brown offers this recipe for yogurt on FN, which uses some powdered milk. Within the webpage, there's a recipe for yogurt cheese, which you might make and distribute as gifts. Add some herbs and a bit of green onion, and you've got a treat to bring to an office or holiday event. Here's the main page for the yogurt recipe -

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/good-eats/fresh-yogurt-recipe/index.html

Theresa