Who doesn't remember sneaking into the kitchen, opening the tin of Milkmaid, and enjoying its thick, creamy sweetness straight from the spoon? The condensed milk in all its sweet delight is a memory many of us have stored from our childhoods, especially when festivals were nearing and the kitchen would be buzzing with preparations for sweet delicacies. From 'licking the spoon' to 'mixing it into desserts', the Milkmaid made occasions a bit more special.
Now that Onam and Ganesh Chaturthi have arrived, what better thing to do than to make this ingredient at home? This economizes the whole process and is, in fact, pretty quick to prepare. You get a velvety-smooth homemade milkmaid using just a few ingredients. This recipe will definitely be a surefire winner for all festive desserts, reminding you of those pure carefree joys.
How to Make Condensed Milk at Home
Making a homemade Condensed Milk is an easy process that involves only a few ingredients and a little effort. Here's what you'll need:
Ingredients
1 cup dry milk powder
½ cup sugar
20 g salted butter
¾ cup warm milk
Method
Blend the dry milk powder, sugar, and salted butter in a blender. Now, add the warm milk in instalments and keep blending until the mixture turns smooth and creamy. Transfer the milkmaid to an airtight container and refrigerate for a week.
This homemade milkmaid is quite affordable and carries the same delicious and rich flavour as store-bought ones. It's so versatile; hence, it can be used in any type of sweet dish one intends to prepare. Be it traditional Indian mithais or modern desserts. It's sure to become an essential in your kitchen this festival season.
Recipes for the Upcoming Festivities
So, before Onam and Ganesh Chaturthi try these sweet recipes made using your home-made milkmaid:
Payasam
Payasam is the traditional dessert on the occasion of Onam, but it could be enriched by adding homemade milkmaid to it. Mix it in with boiling milk and rice or vermicelli and let it simmer till creamy. Add your choice of flavourings - cardamom, nuts and saffron are all at your option - to enrich this recipe.
Modak
Modak is a popular sweet during the days of Ganesh Chaturthi. It could be twisted by using milkmaid. Mix together a mixture of the traditional filling of grated coconut and jaggery, adding to that a generous amount of homemade milkmaid to give it a richer, creamier texture.
Barfi
To make an instant and easy barfi, combine milk powder, ghee, and your prepared milkmaid together in a pan over low heat. Cook until thickened, then transfer into a greased tray. Allow it to cool down, cut into squares, and enjoy this melt-in-the-mouth delicacy.
Milkmaid Laddoos
These instant laddoos are just perfect for any last-minute festive preparation. Mix milkmaid with desiccated coconut and lightly roast in ghee. Then, give the mixture the shape of laddoos and roll them in extra coconut for that special treat.
These simple and mouth-watering recipes further prove the all-rounded versatility of homemade milkmaid, making it an ideal ingredient to be in your kitchen during festivals. Be it Onam, Ganesh Chaturthi, or for that matter any festival, it is for sure that your homemade milkmaid lends a special flavour to everything.