This is a recipe
that caught my eye in one of those little “30 best recipe books”. I liked
that the recipe appeared so simple for an unusual looking end product. It
looks almost like a cheesecake but it isn’t – that creamy topping is made
purely of baked condensed milk. This is a really quick, low effort bake, but I
think the results suggest otherwise. Please note the small squares I have
cut it into – this is sweet and rich.
Think tasty little nibble to be enjoyed with a cup of tea/coffee rather
than a big slice! Don’t say I didn’t
warn you!
I don’t tend to keep condensed milk in my store cupboard and buy it only when I need it, which isn’t often. This is probably just as well as I only have to taste a little bit off the lid of the can to fall head over heels in love with the stuff. It’s sweet, creamy, thick and sticky texture is so sinfully good that I wonder why more baked goods don’t use it. I really need to try it in an ice cream recipe – I bet it’s amazing.
I’ve stuck to the recipe as it used some of my favourite ingredients of chocolate, coconut and walnuts to add texture and flavour; I suspect however that the recipe is a bit of a blank canvas and any other nut, type of chocolate, or even dried fruit would work just as well; probably best though not to choose anything too sweet.
It’s also a good dish to use if you want to work out the age of people. If, like me, you’re a child of the 1970s you won’t be able to hear the words ‘condensed milk’ without thinking of Lenny Henry and his condensed milk sandwiches on Tiswas. I had a little chuckle the other day at work about how our popular culture references pinpoint us quite precisely age-wise. A colleague was chatting to a younger colleague and made a passing reference to Percy Thrower (famous gardener and in charge of the Blue Peter garden; if you grew up in the 1970/80s apart from Zammo ODing in Grange Hill, the vandalism of the Blue Peter garden was about the most shocking thing that blighted your childhood). She looked at him blankly and said, ‘who?’ She’ll be claiming she’s never heard of Morph and Chas next…..
Ingredients
For the base:
100g digestive biscuits
50g unsalted butter
100g digestive biscuits
50g unsalted butter
For the
topping:
150g chocolate, finely chopped – I used half milk, half dark chocolate
70g desiccated coconut
150g walnuts, finely chopped
379g sweetened condensed milk
150g chocolate, finely chopped – I used half milk, half dark chocolate
70g desiccated coconut
150g walnuts, finely chopped
379g sweetened condensed milk
Optional: icing
sugar for dusting
Method
Preheat the oven
to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
Line a 18cm
square cake pan with baking paper or non stick foil.
Put the biscuits
in a food processor and blitz until you have fine crumbs.
Add the butter
and blitz again until the mixture resembles damp sand. (NB. If you prefer the
manual method place the biscuits into a thick bag, tie the top, and hit with
the rolling pin until you have crumbs. Melt the butter and then stir the
crumbs into it.)
Press the crumb
mix into the base of the tin and press down firmly, ensuring the base is of
even thickness. Initially you will think
there isn’t enough biscuit to cover the base, but be patient and keep pressing
it down and out and there is.
Sprinkle over
the chocolate, coconut and walnuts.
Slowly pour the
condensed milk over the top taking care to disturb the chocolate, coconut and
walnuts as little as possible (some movement is inevitable) – do not stir.
Bake for 35-40
minutes until the mixture is set but not rubbery (think baked cheesecake or
baked custard texture – a bit of a wobble in the centre!)
Leave to cool
completely in the tin, on a wire rack, before de-tinning and cutting into small
squares.
Refrigerate
until about 20 minutes before serving.
Bask in the
glory of the wonderful think you have created.
Eat.
17 comments:
This looks really delicious, and unusual, and sweet! I used to not like condensed milk, but I think it would be delicious in a bake like this. If you do find a good recipe for condensed milk ice cream, please share!
Condensed milk, along with angel delight, is my absolute guilty food secret - I loved them when I was growing up and love em even more now! What an interesting bake!
That looks way too dangerous!
This sounds amazingly decadent, CC! I've recently discovered condensed milk (thanks to Nigella Lawson) and I love the stuff!!
Oh my diet's going to take a hit! How can this be anything other than delicious with a list of ingredients like that? Sounds like the kind of thing I'd eat too much of and give myself a tummy ache! X
This look delicious!
This looks so indulgant. I love the gooey assorment of ingredients all stuck together with the condensed milk.
Oh you only have to mention condensed milk and I am LOST. Love the stuff. This looks absolutely like my kind of thing. Love your cultural references determine your age assessment too. Although my kids do know about morph & Chas, cos I bought a DVD and made them watch it. In fairness they love it - Ivor the Engine and Trumpton Chigley & Camberwick Green too, but not so keen on Chorlton & the Wheelies for some reason...
I just love this recipe! May I suggest that those of your readers with access to an Asian supermarket or store try the Longevity brand of condensed milk. It is thicker and more caramelly that the English one.
These look like delightful little treats. I've recently discovered using condensed milk in no bake cheesecakes - very good so I can just imagine how good it is here. Definitely one to try.
This sounds lush! I cleaned out my larder the other day and found a can of condensed milk lurking in there..... may have found a use for it! And I LOVED Tiswas - genius!!
Love condensed milk, so this is a great way to use up a tin I have in the cupboard. Looks very moreish!
This looks like a very decedent treat, but wow, what a good one. Condensed milk makes excellent ice-cream, I've several recipes on my blog.
As a child were allowed to eat condensed milk straight from the tin - I think the food police wouldn't allow this now!
I have made something incredibly similar recently CC. We are on the same mind path at the mo!!
Made this yesterday. It is a very simple recipe but produces a fantastic treat! I will certainly make it again.
wow this cake was so tempting,thank u
best sarees online | buy sarees online| Sarees Online | bollywood sarees online| buy indian sarees online| sarees online shopping
Post a Comment