These days, it seems like all chocophiles flock to the fanciest-wrapped, highest cacao bars of dark chocolate they can find—while milk chocolate languishes in the holiday candy aisle.
Recipes
4 Recipes That Prove Milk Chocolate Is Underrated
Milk chocolate is creamy, opulent, and just as deserving of the spotlight as dark.
By Published Jan. 27, 2022
But we think it’s well past time for milk chocolate to shake its “just for kids” reputation. While we appreciate the complex bitterness of dark in applications like our Vegan Chocolate Mousse and Ultimate Flourless Chocolate Cake, there’s no substitute for creamier bars of milk—which owe their texture to milk fat and cocoa butter—when we want extra silkiness and more delicate chocolate flavor. What’s more, the world of milk chocolate has expanded significantly in recent years, such that there is now a wide variety of artisanal bars available, in addition to the sweet, creamy confections you’ll remember from childhood.
Ready to get reacquainted? Here are four of our favorite milk chocolate recipes.
Milk Chocolate Tart
This tart’s thin pâte sucrée crust is perfect for cradling a silky chocolatey filling—like milk chocolate cremeux, a more satiny custard than the usual tart filling. We developed our recipe using Endangered Species Smooth + Creamy Milk Chocolate, but since brands very widely in their sugar and cacao content, we added an optional touch of cocoa powder to the filling to cut the sweetness of lower-cacao bars.
Milk Chocolate Pots de Crème
There is perhaps no better way to enjoy milk chocolate’s silkiness and creaminess than through these decadent, individually-portioned custards. Our original recipe is the classic version made with dark chocolate, and to adapt it for milk chocolate and ensure plenty of assertive flavor, we increased the chocolate from 10 ounces to 12. Decreasing the sugar from 5 tablespoons to 2 guarded against excessive sweetness.
Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies with Milk Chocolate Filling
Classic peanut butter sandwich cookies have a peanut butter filling, and subbing in a creamy milk chocolatey center pleases lovers of both flavors. To give the filling just the right smooth and not overly dense texture, we cut back the peanut butter in the original cookie from ¾ cup to ½ cup and eliminated the butter, while 6 ounces of milk chocolate contributed delicate but still pronounced chocolate flavor.
Chocolate Sheet Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting
A chocolate cake made extra-dark from cocoa powder and bar chocolate, topped with a lighter, sweeter, milk chocolate ganache, makes for a middle ground all chocolate lovers can enjoy. To make the ganache thick, rich, and creamy, we added plenty of softened butter to the warm chocolate-cream mixture, refrigerated the frosting to cool it quickly so that it would spread nicely, and gave it a quick whisk to smooth it out and lighten its texture.
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Start Free TrialAbsolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too. I've done this using a rimmed sheet pan instead of a skillet and put veggies and potatoes around the chicken for a one-pan meal. Broccoli gets nicely browned and yummy!
Absolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too.
Amazed this recipe works out as well as it does. Would not have thought that the amount of time under the broiler would have produced a very juicy and favorable chicken with a very crispy crust. Used my 12" Lodge Cast Iron skillet (which can withstand 1000 degree temps to respond to those who wondered if it would work) and it turned out great. A "make again" as my family rates things. This is a great recipe, and I will definitely make it again. My butcher gladly butterflied the chicken for me, therefore I found it to be a fast and easy prep. I used my cast iron skillet- marvellous!
John, wasn't it just amazing chicken? So much better than your typical oven baked chicken and on par if not better than gas or even charcoal grilled. It gets that smokey charcoal tasted and overnight koshering definitely helps, something I do when time permits. First-time I've pierced a whole chicken minus the times I make jerk chicken on the grill. Yup, the cast iron was not an issue.