Condensed Milk Sandwiches

[Rhi]

I used to make sweets with it. Mix it with icing sugar and chopped shredded coconut. (Don't use dessicated, it's too dry.) Roll it into wallnut sized pieces, let it dry a bit, say half an hour, and dip in melted chocolate. Sort of like Bounty bars, but round.

 

[WesleyRocks]

Condensed milk was used by some mountaineering friends of mine as a source of instant energy. It is milk preserved with a large quantity of sugar and is a slightly running white liquid - they used to pierce two holes in the top of the tin and suck it out through one of them, the other allowing air to displace the contents thus sucked.

My father used it in a signalbox in the late 1940s for his tea. There was a stove to warm the box and boil water but no such thing as a refrigerator so condensed milk provided milk and sugar in one go. Ordinary milk would have gone off during the eight hour shift and once opened it would last for some while although if not touched would develop a crust on top. Fussell's was the brand of choice I recall.

It tastes a bit like cheap white chocolate which does not have a very chocolatey taste.

Not to be confused with evaporated milk.


Barmpot, That is a brillant idea for using it in tea. I love tea and at work I normally just drink it with just sugar, I didn't want to waste milk so I just put up with not having milk. I'm going to try the condensed milk. I wonder how long it stays good once opened?

 

[WesleyRocks]

3 of us. Haven't had toad in the hole for years.

I could be wrong (and I reiterate that I get much practice) but I seem to recall that in US "Toad in the Hole" can be called "Pigs in a Blanket".

This is all fascinating - well, I do find the subject of food fascinating. I used to visit the US a lot in my working days but have not been there for ten years now. Two things of recent discussion I never noticed or even thought about there are condensed milk and pies. I note that condensed milk would seem to be available there but I never had call for it in my visits. A lovely sticky sweet consistency. I am trying to recall in what recipes I have used it.

An aside - I used to enjoy White Russian cocktails but for that you need a dairy product called "half and half". It is somerthing we no not have in the UK to my knowledge.

Now in all the years I was there I never noticed the lack of pies. Fascinating - strikes me as a real culture difference. Mind, it would certainly not surprise me if there are parts of the US where they are not unknown - particularly inland states. My work was with the Navy so inherently I visited coastal states, particularly East Coast. We must not forget the Don McLean album, "American Pie"

I note that Wikipedia says this:

"Meat pies with fillings such as steak, cheese, steak and kidney, minced beef, or chicken and mushroom are popular in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand as take-away snacks. They are also served with chips as an alternative to fish and chips at British chip shops.

Pot pies with a flaky crust and bottom are also a popular American dish, typically with a filling of meat (particularly beef, chicken or turkey), gravy, and mixed vegetables (potatoes, carrots and peas). Frozen pot pies are often sold in individual serving size.

Fruit pies may be served with a scoop of ice cream, a style known in North America as pie à la mode. Many sweet pies are served this way. Apple pie is a traditional choice, though any pie with sweet fillings may be served à la mode. This combination, and possibly the name as well, is thought to have been popularized in the mid-1890s in the United States."

I also note that Australian pies seem to be gaining popularity in the US. See:
http://www.watoday.com.au/world/aussie-meat-pies-gaining-fans-in-us-20120303-1u9if.html

Reminds me that in later days of my visiting there I got to like the "Outback Steakhouse" chain - did enjoy their "Blooming Onion".

When my mother would make "pigs in a blanket" in Pennsylvania she would take ground beef and mix it with rice, then wrap it in cooked cabbage. Then bake it. Not sure on times or other details. I didn't like the taste of the cabbage, but loved the meat/rice mixture.
Not sure if that is how the rest of the US makes it or not. She comes from an amish family, so they might do thinks differently.

 

[dick]

Just as a matter of interest , my grandsons and their father love " pigs in blankets" This version though is a "cocktail" sausage wrapped in streaky bacon and cooked as per a regular sausage.

 

[barmpot]

Condensed milk was used by some mountaineering friends of mine as a source of instant energy. It is milk preserved with a large quantity of sugar and is a slightly running white liquid - they used to pierce two holes in the top of the tin and suck it out through one of them, the other allowing air to displace the contents thus sucked.

My father used it in a signalbox in the late 1940s for his tea. There was a stove to warm the box and boil water but no such thing as a refrigerator so condensed milk provided milk and sugar in one go. Ordinary milk would have gone off during the eight hour shift and once opened it would last for some while although if not touched would develop a crust on top. Fussell's was the brand of choice I recall.

It tastes a bit like cheap white chocolate which does not have a very chocolatey taste.

Not to be confused with evaporated milk.


Barmpot, That is a brillant idea for using it in tea. I love tea and at work I normally just drink it with just sugar, I didn't want to waste milk so I just put up with not having milk. I'm going to try the condensed milk. I wonder how long it stays good once opened?

At least a week ...

 

[Rhi]

I make pigs in blanket with a scone base. I wrap the cocktail sausage in a rolled out bit of scone mix and then bake that. Generally i put either grated cheese, a pinch of paprika or fried onions in the scone dough. More like pigs in a quilt, i have to admit!

 

[Pearl]

Just as a matter of interest , my grandsons and their father love " pigs in blankets" This version though is a "cocktail" sausage wrapped in streaky bacon and cooked as per a regular sausage.

That's what I call "Pigs in Blankets" too, only when I was at school our cookery teacher used to make them by wrapping sausages in bread then baking them, I usually make them now by wrapping sausages in streaky bacon then in a triangle of bread very nice with the turkey at Xmas

 

[Compo]

I use Condensed milk when making the no bake christmas log. It binds the ingredients together and after a couple of days the log gets solid.

 

[Big Unc]

Just as a matter of interest , my grandsons and their father love " pigs in blankets" This version though is a "cocktail" sausage wrapped in streaky bacon and cooked as per a regular sausage.

That's what I call "Pigs in Blankets" too, only when I was at school our cookery teacher used to make them by wrapping sausages in bread then baking them, I usually make them now by wrapping sausages in streaky bacon then in a triangle of bread very nice with the turkey at Xmas

Should have checked before I launched into "Pigs in Blankets". First here is what Wikipedia says about Toad in the Hole: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toad_in_the_hole.

I should have realised US has no equivalent - no way do they have Yorkshire Pudding. It would appear that traditionally in UK "Pigs in a Blanket" are sausages wrapped in bacon. In US they are more likely to be sausages wrapped in biscuit dough, pancake, or croissant dough, and baked. Susan's sound like a bit of a combination of the two. I suppose the US version is getting somewhere near Toad in the hole.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigs_in_a_blanket

Of course, up here north of the border sausages wrapped in bacon are "Kilted Sausages"

And the other delicacy we have not covered, "Devils on Horseback" - prunes wrapped in bacon: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devils_on_horseback

 

[Flat Cap]

Meat pies sound a bit like pot pies minus the veggies being baked in the pie.

 

[Sue]

Pot Pies are what my family used to call sand castles!!!

 

[Pearl]

We really are a strange lot aren't we ;D

 

[Compo]

It seems that only on British recipe shows you find that meat pies only have pastry on top. Other countries have pastry all around.

With regards to sausage rolls I like to wrap a pice of ham or bacon around the sausage before wrapping in pastry. A piece of cheese does very well also as it melts. Yummy...........

I think calling them Pigs in Blankets is to make them more interesting for the kids.

 

[Rhi]

I sometimes spread a thin layer of mustard or Gentlemans Relish on the pastry before wrapping the sausage up. Sometimes maybe a little chopped sage. I LOVE sage.

 

[Flat Cap]

3 of us. Haven't had toad in the hole for years.

I could be wrong (and I reiterate that I get much practice) but I seem to recall that in US "Toad in the Hole" can be called "Pigs in a Blanket".

This is all fascinating - well, I do find the subject of food fascinating. I used to visit the US a lot in my working days but have not been there for ten years now. Two things of recent discussion I never noticed or even thought about there are condensed milk and pies. I note that condensed milk would seem to be available there but I never had call for it in my visits. A lovely sticky sweet consistency. I am trying to recall in what recipes I have used it.

An aside - I used to enjoy White Russian cocktails but for that you need a dairy product called "half and half". It is somerthing we no not have in the UK to my knowledge.

Now in all the years I was there I never noticed the lack of pies. Fascinating - strikes me as a real culture difference. Mind, it would certainly not surprise me if there are parts of the US where they are not unknown - particularly inland states. My work was with the Navy so inherently I visited coastal states, particularly East Coast. We must not forget the Don McLean album, "American Pie"

I note that Wikipedia says this:

"Meat pies with fillings such as steak, cheese, steak and kidney, minced beef, or chicken and mushroom are popular in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand as take-away snacks. They are also served with chips as an alternative to fish and chips at British chip shops.

Pot pies with a flaky crust and bottom are also a popular American dish, typically with a filling of meat (particularly beef, chicken or turkey), gravy, and mixed vegetables (potatoes, carrots and peas). Frozen pot pies are often sold in individual serving size.

Fruit pies may be served with a scoop of ice cream, a style known in North America as pie à la mode. Many sweet pies are served this way. Apple pie is a traditional choice, though any pie with sweet fillings may be served à la mode. This combination, and possibly the name as well, is thought to have been popularized in the mid-1890s in the United States."

I also note that Australian pies seem to be gaining popularity in the US. See:
http://www.watoday.com.au/world/aussie-meat-pies-gaining-fans-in-us-20120303-1u9if.html

Reminds me that in later days of my visiting there I got to like the "Outback Steakhouse" chain - did enjoy their "Blooming Onion".

When my mother would make "pigs in a blanket" in Pennsylvania she would take ground beef and mix it with rice, then wrap it in cooked cabbage. Then bake it. Not sure on times or other details. I didn't like the taste of the cabbage, but loved the meat/rice mixture.
Not sure if that is how the rest of the US makes it or not. She comes from an amish family, so they might do thinks differently.

My grandmother, born and raised in Western PA, always made pigs in a blanket wrapped in cabbage as well. Might be a PA thing.

White Russsians, Caucasians...a great drink. It's what Jeff Bridges' character, the Dude, drank in the Big Lebowski.