We have been talking about the benefits of milk to your diet. There are many ways exciting ways to use milk. My friend Selaine Jommo who is an awesome pastry chef gave me some great recipes. Here are 3 recipes for some delicious snacks and here are a few more below.
QUICK AND EASY CREAM CHEESE
I love cream cheese, but it’s not easy to find and it’s also quite expensive. This is the homemade version, not perfect but it works well in all recipes that require cream cheese. The richer the milk used, the better the flavor. You can also mix milk and natural yogurt to make your cream cheese but then it has to sit for a longer time.
1 litre whole milk
Half a teaspoon of citric acid
Half a cup of warm water
A pinch of salt or to taste
Bring your milk to a boil then take it off the heat and let it cool slightly.
Mix the citric acid with the water until dissolved.
Stir into the milk and set aside until it curdles.
Sieve the liquid out and put the cream cheese into a bowl. Stir it until smooth then put into the fridge until needed.
The taste is less tangy than commercially made cream cheese, but works well, especially in icing.
HOT WHITE CHOCOLATE
A nice alternative to hot chocolate, it’s great for cold evenings. It goes down well with some girlfriends and a good movie. Serves 12
12 cups milk
252 grams good- quality white chocolate
1 cup crushed peppermint candies
A quarter teaspoon of salt
Whipped cream for topping
Bring milk to a simmer in a large and heavy saucepan. Reduce the heat and add the chocolate, candy and salt. Whisk until smooth. Ladle into mugs and serve topped with whipped cream.
BROWN BREAD ICE CREAM
This is easy to make and so delicious. It will definitely impress your guests. Serve with any fruit sauce, and garnish with orange rind for a classy look. Serves 6 dessert portions
2 egg yolks
One-third cup castor sugar
Half a cup of long-life milk
One and a half cups finely grated FRESH brown breadcrumbs (DONT SUBSTITUTE!!)
One and a quarter cups cream
1 tablespoon rum
Orange rind for garnish
Melba Sauce for drizzling
Whisk egg yolks and sugar together until pale and creamy.
Heat milk in a pan until simmering but not boiling. Carefully pour over the egg and sugar mixture, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon. Don’t boil it, or the mixture will curdle.
Transfer to a bowl and fold in the breadcrumbs. Cover with plastic wrap/ Clingfilm and let the mixture cool.
Beat the cream until soft peaks form and stir in the rum. Fold into the cold breadcrumb mixture and pour into an attractive serving dish that is freezer safe. Put the mixture in a very cold freezer until lightly frozen.
Serve with the orange rind garnish and a drizzle of Melba sauce.
MELBA SAUCE
This is basically a handy jam sauce that keeps well in the fridge and is very easy to make. Use the best quality of jam that you can afford for a good flavor. It shouldn’t be too sweet – chunky fruit jams are the best. Strawberry is the traditional Melba sauce, but you can use your favorite jam flavor for a nice and different taste.
Half a cup of strawberry fruit jam
Half a cup of warm water
Mix the jam with a little of the water and stir until the mixture is not too thick. It should be slightly runny and smooth- unless you use a chunky fruit jam. Add the water in small amounts until you achieve the desired consistency. It’s not always necessary to use all the water.
It can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container until needed.
Drizzle over ice cream, fresh fruit salad, cakes and even as a topping for whipped cream desserts.
Selaine does pastries and cakes so if you would like to order some desserts you can contact her through her Facebook Page.
