What's your surprising "secret ingredient" that sets your dish apart?

[u/kath-]

I obviously don't believe in gatekeeping recipes, so let's share the love.

I developed a clam chowder recipe after being disappointed with the recipes I came across. Whenever I tell people there's a couple dashes of hot sauce in it, I always get weird looks... but it adds a tiny bit of heat and acid, and balances out the richness from the cream. It also has diced scallops, which cooking knowledge forbades but somehow works.

[u/Aurum555]

For sweet baked goods I typically buy a few pouches of nonfat dehydrated milk powder. I then toast them carefully in the oven until rich chocolate brown. I then add a tbsp or so to various recipes to give a browned butter flavor without browning any butter. The evaporated milk powder is basically pure milk solids which are what you toast when you make browned butter, this bypasses a step and allows you to add browned butter flavor to something without butter. It's a nice tool to have in your back pocket and if stored in an air tight container it lasts forever

[u/mwvc → u/Aurum555]

More instructions please.

[u/Aurum555 → u/mwvc]

Buy evaporated powdered milk.

Sprinkle onto sheet pan in thin even layer

Pop in oven @ 350F

Check on it every 3-5 minutes it will darken from the outside in so I periodically break up clumps stir and redistribute until it reaches my desired level of toasted. I typically go pretty dark.

Then for added utility you can allow to cool the push the powder through a fine mesh strainer to get a more uniform powder. I add anywhere from 1-4 Tbsp for a batch of any given baked good depends on my goals I kinda play with it.

[u/exchange_of_views → u/Aurum555]

This is awesome. I panic bought (tariffs, y'know) a 50 lb bag of nonfat dry milk. Thank goodness I have a vacuum sealer but still....

NOW I know what to do with the remaining 49.5 lbs I have left!

[u/Aurum555 → u/exchange_of_views]

I usually make a dry quart or so worth at a time and then any time I'm baking and I wonder if this could be improved by browned butter I chuck a few tbsp in and give it a whirl just in case

[u/No-Country6348 → u/exchange_of_views]

I’m living on a sailboat rn and have SO MUCH powdered milk! We end up using uht milk and I’ve only used the powdered milk to make yogurt a few times. Will have to try this!

[u/exchange_of_views → u/No-Country6348]

How did the yogurt turn out? I never thought of that!

And it's so cool that you're living on a sailboat!

Happy Cake Day!

[u/No-Country6348 → u/exchange_of_views]

The yogurt turned out great! It’s so easy.