This holiday season, add a little extra magic to your dishes by using milk or cream to enhance both flavor and textures in a meal. It can add a richness, making it heartier and more comforting, perfect for this festive time.
Explore these benefits, along with some pros and cons, to get you started. Don’t hesitate to get creative and add a touch of creaminess to your already-delicious recipes!
Milk for Santa
If you already have a recipe you love, you can beef it up with a touch of creaminess — think soups and sauces. Between the fat content and the water content of the added dairy (or even dairy alternatives), you’ll end up with baked goods or some of your other favorite recipes that turn up the moisture a bit.
Another reason to add some milk is if you want one of your dishes to have a bit more volume. Nature’s Best Dairy® delivers the best in high-quality dairy products, from milk and butter, to heavy creams, to cottage cheese, eggs, and ice cream — all sourced from across America’s dairyland.
Milk and cream can also help with cooking techniques like emulsification and browning. If you’re trying to nail down a sauce or dressing recipe that just won’t quite mix how you like it, try adding cream to get a nice blend. Because of its additional fat, sugar, and protein content, milk can also help enhance the sweetness or the richness of a brown coating in some recipes.
Dasher’s Downsides
While recipes can benefit from adding in some creaminess, it doesn’t always go as planned. Depending on the recipe, sometimes there can be flavor alterations. Additionally, you could create textural issues that you weren’t really seeking out, such as curdling or the dulling down of certain flavors. Also, keep in mind that many consumers have lactose issues, and there are ways to combat that with different milk varieties, like almond, coconut, or rice milk.
Let’s Get Cozy
The temperatures are changing, and soup season is upon us! One small plate idea to try by adding a little extra dairy is tomato soup — try making this one a little creamier for a slight flavor change. For a creamy appetizer, look to dips that already call for cream and add in a little more variety than you normally would, like sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream. You can also try your hand at a soup or dip recipe that doesn’t already include milk, and add it in to make it creamier, like vegetable soup or an autumn squash soup.
Christmas Comfort
Turn up the comfort of these dishes to feel extra in-the-spirit this season! Pasta or macaroni and cheese can always benefit from more creaminess. Try it with a primavera to make the sauce richer, a classic tomato sauce pasta dish to smooth out the texture, or amp up the dairy in an Alfredo special. Pies and quiches could also use a little extra creaminess, on occasion. Try the heavy cream the next time you make a pumpkin pie, fruit pie, or any of your breakfast quiche recipes!
Whether you’re creating a whole new recipe or adding cream to one of your favorite dishes, try something new for a truly white Christmas.
