An epicurean adventure to: South Africa
If you're looking to experience a taste of South Africa, trying these traditional condensed milk cookies is a must!
These delicious condensed milk biscuits come from our multi-award-winning recipe. My mom nailed it, winning the highly coveted 'special prize' at the South African Women's Institute (VLU). Believe me, those WI judges take their cookie-tasting seriously!
It's a plain biscuit, but that's part of their appeal. They're soft and chewy with a deliciously deep flavour from the condensed milk.
We have developed a creamy filling to sandwich the cookies together. The recipe only uses part of a can of condensed milk and the filling will use the rest of it, so there is no waste...
...(bar just enough leftover sweetened condensed milk for one cup of coffee as a treat after all your hard work!)
What is the origin of condensed milk cookies?
Also known as 'kondensmelk koekies' in Afrikaans. These cookies hold a special place in South African hearts, gracing countless homes and bakeries across the country.
Their origin is shrouded in time, as they have been an integral part of South African culinary culture for generations. It is believed that European and British colonial influences played a role in introducing condensed milk as a key ingredient in baking recipes, including these delightful cookies.
For more easy cookie recipes, try these peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, easy chocolate shortbread or this coconut ice with condensed milk recipe.
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Fast facts - South Africa
| Location | Southernmost tip of the African continent. It is bordered by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) and Lesotho. |
| Language | South Africa has 11 official languages, including English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, Pedi, Venda, Tsonga, Swati, and Ndebele. English is widely spoken and is the language of business, while Zulu and Xhosa are the most commonly spoken African languages. |
| Population | Circa 60.2 million |
| Trivia | South Africa is known for its diverse and vibrant music scene. From traditional rhythms like marimba and township jazz to modern genres like kwaito and Afrobeat. The country's music will get you on your feet and dancing in no time! |
What's to love about these condensed milk cookies
- They are rich, soft and chewy.
- The recipe only uses widely available, simple ingredients.
- The dough is very versatile. Roll them into balls and flatten them with a fork, or roll them out to cut shapes with a cookie cutter, or use a cookie press.
- This condensed milk cookie recipe is for a big batch of cookies, ideal for holiday baking to fill up the December cookie tins.
Key ingredients
**Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full list of ingredients.
Flour
For this recipe, you will need all-purpose flour/plain flour.
Sweetened condensed milk
This is the star ingredient of the recipe and provides a deep flavour to this otherwise plain cookie.
Sugar
You can use normal granulated white sugar, but caster sugar also works really well in this recipe. Brown sugar won't be suitable.
Eggs
The eggs should be at room temperature as it's much easier to mix in with the sugar. You will have a smoother, more uniform texture.
Butter
You can use either salted or unsalted butter. If you are using unsalted butter, add a smidgen more salt to the mix, about ¼ teaspoon.
Vanilla extract/Vanilla essence
This recipe calls for two teaspoons of extract/essence, which is a bit more than most cookie recipes. Vanilla forms an integral part of the overall flavour. Use a good quality vanilla if you can.
Optional variation
You can add 200g of chocolate chips to the dough for a chocolatey kick. Keep a few extra chocolate chips to the side to stick to the top of the cookies before baking.
How to make condensed milk cookies - Quick summary
For the cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 180C/356F/gas mark 4 and line a few cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat together the sugar, eggs and vanilla until you have a light and creamy mixture.
Add the condensed milk and beat again. Start at a low speed and gradually increase the speed.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and then add the cold, cubed butter. Work the butter into the dry ingredients, by hand, until no chunks of butter remain.
- Add the condensed milk mix to the flour and butter. Using your hands, mix the two together until no traces of flour remain.
Take care to ensure you have no dry ingredients left on the bottom and sides of the bowl, and that all dry flour has been worked into the dough.
- You can now either roll the dough into balls and flatten it with a fork, or roll the dough out to cut shapes with a cookie cutter, use a cookie press or even make thumbprint cookies.
- Transfer the prepared cookies onto a lined baking tray.
- Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven until the cookies are a very light golden brown colour.
- Transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack and leave to cool completely before sandwiching with the icing.
For the filling:
- With a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, beat together the condensed milk, softened butter and vanilla.
- Add the icing sugar (powdered sugar) and beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Sandwich the cookies together with the filling and leave to set for a few hours. The easiest way is to just spread the filling onto the cookies with a knife, but you can also use a piping bag.
It's important to let the icing dry and set, otherwise, the cookies on either side might shift if handled too soon.
Top tips
Portioning the cookie dough
You get 60 un-sandwiched cookies out of this mix if you use 30g of dough per cookie. If you use 20 grams dough portions you will get 90 cookies.
30g of dough produces quite large cookies. 20g of dough produces more regular-sized cookies.
Measure accurately
Use a digital scale for precise measuring. If you haven't got a set of digital kitchen scales yet, add them to your Christmas list!
Scooping the dough
Using an ice cream scoop, or a medium cookie scoop, really helps you to measure out equal-sized portions of cookie dough, especially if you are not weighing the individual portions.
Don't let the dough go dry
Whilst preparing the cookies for the oven, don't let the unbaked cookie dough go dry, as you then might struggle with the dough cracking whilst you shape the cookies.
Keep any dough not currently being worked on covered with a tea towel or cling wrap.
Fixing cracks
If you do find that you have cookies with small cracks after shaping, use your finger, dipped in a little bit of water, to smooth them out before putting them in the oven.
Chill unbaked cookies in the fridge
Placing the lined baking sheets with cookies in the fridge for 10 minutes chill time before baking will help the cookies keep their shape in the hot oven.
Storage
These cookies will keep well in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks. You can extend their shelf life by keeping them in the fridge for up to 8 weeks. Frozen, they will keep well for 12 months.
More easy recipes using condensed milk
Sequilhos - Brazilian cornflour cookies
Choc chip cookies with condensed milk
Ice coffee with condensed milk
Tinginys - Lithuanian Lazy Cookies
Dark chocolate ice cream, no churn!
Easy peanut butter microwave fudge
FAQ
Cookies made with condensed milk do not need to be refrigerated as long as they are stored properly in an airtight container at room temperature.
Condensed milk is milk that has had most of its moisture removed, which makes it more shelf-stable than regular milk. When used in baking, the high sugar content and low water content of condensed milk act as a preservative, helping to keep the cookies safe to eat.
Unfortunately not, condensed milk and evaporated milk are not the same product and cannot be used interchangeably in baking without significant adjustments to the recipe.
Condensed milk has been sweetened and has a thick, creamy consistency due to much of the water being removed. It's often used in baking to add sweetness and moisture to recipes.
Evaporated milk is unsweetened and has a much thinner consistency than condensed milk. It's made by removing less of the water from regular milk than condensed milk.
More recipes using condensed milk
Recipe
Condensed milk cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 330 grams sugar
- 2 large eggs - at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 200 grams condensed milk
- 840 grams plain flour
- 60 grams cornflour
- 1.5 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1.5 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 450 grams butter - cold and cut into small cubes
For the filling
- 150 grams sweetened condensed milk
- 60 grams butter - very soft, borderline melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 200 grams icing sugar
Instructions
How to make the cookies
- Preheat the oven to 180C/356F/gas mark 4 and line four large baking sheets with baking paper. You may need more or less baking sheets depending on the size of your sheets and oven.
- In a stand mixer, cream together the sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy.
- Add the condensed milk and mix until well incorporated.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cornflour, cream of tartar, bicarb and salt.
- Tip the cold butter cubes in with the flour. Rub the butter into the flour with your hands until no chunks of butter remain. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Add the condensed milk mixture to the dry ingredients. Using your hands, combine until you have a uniform dough. Take care to ensure you have no dry ingredients left on the bottom of the bowl and that all dry flour has been worked into the dough.
- You can now either roll the dough into balls and flatten with a fork, or roll the dough out to cut shapes with a cookie cutter, or use a cookie press.
- Bake for 12 minutes per tray or until the cookies have a very light golden hue. Baking time may vary on the thickness and size of the cookies, so keep an eye for visual clues that they are done.
- Leave the cookies to cool on the tray for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
To make the filling
- In a stand mixer, or using an electric hand mixer, whisk together the condensed milk, very soft butter and vanilla extract.
- Add the icing sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Sandwich the cookies together with the filling and leave to set for a few hours. They are usually at their best the following day.
**Nutritional data disclaimer**
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is calculated by a third party and we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We try our best to give you the most accurate information, but we do not take responsibility for errors that may be present. Also, the nutritional value of the recipe may change depending on the exact brands and products used. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian for personalised advice on your dietary needs.
Nutrition
For food safety advice, including guidance on food allergies
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