Quick Condensed Milk

Sometimes, we end up with too much milk that has to be used. What to do? Well, we’ve enjoyed making our own condensed milk, especially a variation that my daughter loves for making a quick, hot drink.

The recipe is from Stella Parks’ BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts. Her “trick” is to incorporate some heavy cream into the mixture, to help prevent scorching. The milk-cream-sugar mixture needs to boil for a while, until it reduces down to the right amount.

After making this a few times, we’ve learned that we should bring it to a simmer using the 10 setting on our stove, then letting it go between 9 and 10 to reduce in the 20 minutes she calls for. (It always takes us longer though.) Fortunately, Stella’s recipes have precise instructions, so we just keep weighing the pot to know when to stop.

We love making the chai variation by adding whole spices to the mix, then straining them out afterward. I bash them up a bit in a mortar and pestle to extract maximum flavour. My daughter loves mixing up a tablespoon with some hot, decaf tea for an instant masala chai!