Milk & Cream
3644 recipes found

Laksa
While chicken curry laksa is a popular restaurant dish across Southeast Asia, making it at home is entirely doable. It’s as simple as blending a spice paste, cooking it off and poaching some chicken thighs. It gets its complexity from rempah, a fragrant spice paste made with ingredients such as lemongrass and galangal (which can be swapped for ginger). This recipe calls for making your own rempah, but to save time, you can buy a good-quality paste and enhance it with fresh lemongrass, ginger and garlic (see Tip 2). The coconut milk-based broth is spicy, savory and rich, but not heavy, based on the curry laksa found at hawker centers in Malaysia and Singapore. The flavor improves over time, so it’s a dish worth making in advance.

Salted Lassi
Lassi, a refreshing yogurt-based drink from the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, is often consumed in hot weather as a cooling, hydrating beverage that promotes healthy digestion. Variations abound, but this simple salted version remains beloved. Some salted lassi include kala namak (black salt), which has a more pronounced sulfuric flavor, but standard salt and sea salt are often used as well. Other popular seasonings are cumin seeds (used here) and chaat masala. Using South Asian dahi (yogurt) is ideal for achieving the drink’s classic tart, creaminess. Avoid using Greek yogurt or skyr in its place, as they can be too thick, but if you can’t find dahi, plain whole-milk yogurt will work well.

Chicken Stew
This creamy, cozy chicken stew is fast enough for a weeknight meal yet satisfying enough for a long Sunday dinner. Boneless chicken thighs are used instead of breasts, as they stay juicier longer. Simmering them in the stew along with sweet paprika, chicken stock and a touch of apple cider vinegar adds surprising depth of flavor alongside dried herbs and plenty of vegetables for dimension and texture. Heavy cream is in the mix as well, wrapping everything in a silky blanket. This stew is as versatile as it is easy to make, so feel free to add in other vegetables like mushrooms or peppers and replace the heavy cream with coconut milk, or leave the cream out altogether.

Chicken Satay
Bursting with warming flavors and scents of spices like coriander, cumin, cinnamon and turmeric, this is a weeknight-friendly Thai chicken satay adapted from Canadian cookbook author and YouTube chef Pailin Chongchitnant. Satay, a popular street food of skewered marinated meats, made its way to Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries from Indonesia. Though it was originally prepared with beef, pork is now the most popular meat for satay in Thailand (and chicken is used more commonly outside of Thailand). In this version, adapted from Ms. Chongchitnant’s cookbook “Sabai” (Appetite by Random House, 2023), skewers of boneless marinated chicken breast are cooked on the grill or stovetop. A rich and sumptuous satay dipping sauce is prepared with roasted peanuts, coconut milk and red curry paste. Serve chicken satay with ajaad (tangy and crisp quick-pickled cucumbers) and a side of rice.

Boulèts (Epis-Spiced Meatballs)
A favorite of the chef Elsy Dinvil, these tender fried beef meatballs were a common sight on her childhood dinner table in Jérémie, Haiti. Comforting yet complex thanks to epis, a Haitian seasoning blend made with herbs and spices, they’re a great addition to rice or even some crusty bread. You can enjoy them as is or with the piquant onion and tomato sauce below. If you like heat, be sure to break open the Scotch bonnet chile after it’s tender from stewing, and it’ll give the sauce a hot, fruity flavor.

Gombaleves (Creamy Mushroom Soup)
This hearty, warming soup is a Hungarian version of creamy mushroom soup, with a good dose of Hungarian paprika and fragrant dried herbs imparting its unique, earthy hue and flavor. Although any mix of wild mushrooms can be used, common white button or cremini mushrooms are wonderful here (or use a combination); the key is to lightly caramelize them to maximize their complexity. A final swirl of tangy sour cream and lemon juice brightens the rich, creamy soup.

Microwave Sticky Toffee Pudding
You’re just 10 minutes away from a bowl of soft, date-flecked cake draped in a brown sugary sauce. This speedy take on sticky toffee pudding is made for one or two people and doesn’t require turning on the oven — just the microwave. Topping your warm cake with cold ice cream, whipped cream or sour cream is a welcome contrast and helps temper the sweetness. A few toasted pecans on top would add a nice crunch.

Fairy Bread
If you go to a children’s birthday party in Australia or New Zealand, you are very likely to find fairy bread: triangles of untoasted white bread covered with margarine or butter and “hundreds and thousands” (you can use round rainbow sprinkles stateside). Fairy bread is a much-loved treat with fairly murky origins; one variation is hagelslag, a Dutch treat that uses chocolate sprinkles instead of rainbow-colored rounds. After one bite of fairy bread, it is clear why the combination of soft bread, creamy butter and crunchy, sugary sprinkles is beloved by so many — and may be soon by you, too.

Triple-Chocolate Brownies
Featuring a terrazzo-esque contrast from a melted bittersweet-chocolate batter studded with shards of white chocolate and milk chocolate, these luxurious brownies owe their rich flavor and nuanced texture to a few essential details. The batter employs both melted dark chocolate and cocoa powder, a combination that provides complex flavor and a fudgy bite. Snappy chunks of milk and white chocolates get folded into the bittersweet base, creating a multidimensional celebration of chocolatiness. Both dark brown sugar and granulated sugar are key to obtaining that hallmark shiny surface and a velvety soft interior. About midway through the baking process, the baking pan gets tapped on the counter, resulting in a brownie that deflates until desirably gooey but not dense, which will please just about every type of brownie lover.

Chocolate Crepes
These cocoa-infused crepes are delicious rolled up and eaten as-is, but for a more celebratory dessert, dress them up with your choice of chocolate-hazelnut spread, whipped cream, powdered sugar and berries. Making crepes isn’t complicated, but it does require a bit of patience. Letting the batter rest for the full 15 minutes (or up to overnight) allows the flour and cocoa powder to hydrate, which contributes to a tender and slightly bouncy texture when cooked. To minimize frustration while cooking, use a good nonstick skillet and avoid cooking the crepes too hot and fast—medium heat is ideal.

Persian Love Cake
The origins of Persian love cake, a fragrant and tender cake adorned with rose petals, are shrouded in a romanticized story of unrequited love. Set in bygone lands with the scent of cardamom and rose wafting through the air, the tale tells of a Persian prince and the girl who won his heart by baking him this magical cake. It’s unclear from where this tale first sprung, but the timeline is certainly recent: The earliest mentions of Persian love cake do not date back to ancient or even modern-day Iran, but possibly to a chef in Australia in the early 2000s who prepared an almond flour-based cake and called it Persian love cake. Perhaps the combination of almonds, cardamom and rose water, ingredients typically used in Iranian baked goods, inspired the name. This version uses a combination of almond flour and all-purpose flour, which makes for a delightfully light crumb. The perfume of lemon and rose water in the cake is echoed in the syrup that drenches the cake, as well as in the icing that drapes it. Like every good romance, this take on Persian love cake will keep you coming back for more.

Marry Me Salmon
A take on Marry Me Chicken, this dish is the weeknight fish you cook for your future life partner. Perfectly seared salmon bathed in a creamy sun-dried tomato gravy is anchored by the familiar one-two punch of dried oregano and crushed red pepper. By cooking the fish mostly on the skin side, then gently poaching the flesh side in sauce, you get shattering skin yielding to plush salmon. Bottled clam juice, readily available at the grocery store, gives the creamy red sauce a seafood taste. Serve with crusty, fluffy Italian bread or your favorite pasta tossed with a dribble of oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes.

Strawberry Lassi
Strawberry lassi is a popular variation of lassi, the yogurt-based blended beverage with origins in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. This refreshing drink is made with frozen strawberries instead of ice to add flavor while keeping it cool. Sugar is the traditional sweetener in lassi, but the maple syrup here adds a subtle earthiness and dissolves quickly while blending. South Asian dahi (yogurt) is ideal for achieving the drink’s characteristic tart creaminess, but plain whole-milk yogurt will also work well. (Greek yogurt and skyr can be too thick for lassi.)

German Pancake
This large-format pancake puffs up at the perimeter, creating light airy edges, while the center remains denser and almost custard-like. It’s the combination of these two textures that makes the German pancake special — that, and the ease of being able to whip up pancakes for six without being tethered to the griddle. What’s the difference between a Dutch baby and a German pancake, you may wonder? Semantics, really. The origin of this giant baked pancake is commonly attributed not to a Dutch or German dish, but to a Seattle restaurant called Manca’s that began serving the dish in the 1940s. The inspiration and name for this uniquely puffy pancake may have come from some variation of pfannkuchen (the German word for pancakes) and the word Deutsch (German) pronounced in American English eventually morphing into “Dutch.” While many German pancake recipes call for a cast-iron skillet, this recipe uses a 9-by-13-inch rectangular baking pan to create one gargantuan pancake with plenty of crisp edges. How you serve the pancake is up to you: Fill it with berries and maple syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar, or cut it into individual squares and let everyone top the pancakes to their liking.

Mornay Sauce
Mornay is a rich and velvety sauce made by adding cheese (traditionally Gruyère and Parmesan) to a classic béchamel base. It requires just a handful of basic ingredients — primarily flour, milk, butter, cheese and nutmeg — and is quick to put together. A superversatile sauce, it’s a favorite for mac and cheese and gratins, and is great with roasted veggies, boiled potatoes and poached eggs. The sauce is best used right away, but can be held at room temperature for a few hours or chilled for up to 3 days. (It thickens quite a bit as it chills, but will return to a saucy state once rewarmed.)

Chipotle Honey Chicken Wings
Spicy and sweet, with a cooling dip to dunk them in, these chicken wings are simple to make. Smoky chipotle chiles in adobo sauce are blended with sour cream, honey, garlic and a couple spices to make a flavorful coating for the wings while the oven heats up. Then with just a quick roast on a wire rack over a parchment-lined sheet pan (so your pan stays relatively clean), the wings are ready. Orange zest adds a fruity brightness, but is optional.

Chocolate Cheesecake With Raspberry Swirl
Raspberry and chocolate are a classic pair in this rich and decadent dessert fit for a celebration. Use a high-quality raspberry jam for the most vibrant flavor. Baking the cheesecake at a low temperature until it is just set around the edges prevents cracks without the need for a water bath. Make sure to give the cheesecake plenty of time to cool, first in the turned-off oven and then on the countertop, then chill before serving. It keeps beautifully in the refrigerator for a few days, so don’t hesitate to make it in advance.

Fondant Potatoes
In this classic French restaurant dish, Yukon Gold potatoes are given the steak treatment: Seared in a hot pan, basted and then baked, they become creamy and fall-apart tender. (The name, fondant, refers to the French word for melting). To achieve their signature cylindrical shape, you can use a round cookie or biscuit cutter, or a paring knife, to shave down the sides of the potato. Choosing potatoes that are long and tube-like, rather than round, will also help. But you can also feel free to skip this step; the potatoes won’t be strikingly uniform, but they will still be delicious! Serve alongside steak, or roast beef or chicken for a show-stopping and comforting dinner.

Buttery Shrimp With Garlic and Paprika
For this flavorful, richly aromatic shrimp dinner, use large shrimp if possible (preferably from the Gulf of Mexico or the Mid-Atlantic). They are hefty at 16 to 20 pieces per pound, enough for a main course for four. Use fresh or frozen shrimp, extra points for peeling and de-veining your own. They are to be sizzled in a generous amount of spicy butter sauce. If you don’t have hot paprika, use 1 tablespoon sweet paprika plus ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne, or more to taste. Or use Spanish pimentón picante. Serve the shrimp with plain polenta, little roasted potatoes, or steamed rice. Or just have a warm baguette for sopping.

Chocolate Pound Cake With Strawberry Whipped Cream
This deeply chocolaty pound cake is simple to make but so much more than the sum of its very straightforward parts. Dutch cocoa lends its rich color and flavor to a cream cheese–infused pound cake batter. The cream cheese adds a tangy depth of flavor and gives the cake a soft, velvety texture. Make sure your butter, cream cheese, eggs and sour cream are at room temperature to ensure the cake batter emulsifies properly and bakes up tall and even. The cake is delicious on its own, dusted with a bit of powdered sugar and sliced into tidy slices, or with a dollop of perfectly pink strawberry whipped cream, which makes use of freeze-dried strawberries that are perfect year round.

Chocolate Pudding Cups
This grown-up chocolate pudding, which uses dark chocolate and a luxurious custard base rooted in European techniques, is served in small individual portions and nods to childhood indulgence. Perfect for a dinner party, you can prepare this the morning or day before your guests are to arrive, chill it and you’ll have a perfectly set dessert just waiting to be garnished and served. (Crème fraîche is a perfect accompaniment.)

Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake
In this recipe, a rich and luxurious chocolate ganache enrobes an impressively tall chocolate cake with hidden layers of jammy raspberry filling punctuated by fresh berries. This cake is best served at room temperature so the chocolate coating is soft and easily sliced. If you like, you can also fill and frost the cake with chocolate buttercream instead of ganache; the buttercream is a bit easier to work with and less expensive to make. Fans of the combination of chocolate and raspberry may also want to consider this cheesecake.

Chicken and Rice Casserole
A 20th-century American dish that has withstood the test of time, chicken and rice casserole continues to win the hearts of home cooks looking to get an easy meal on the table without breaking the bank. This version has minimal prep: Uncooked chicken, rice, mushrooms and celery are tossed together in the dish, then a creamy sauce is poured on top. (If you have precooked, leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken on hand, simply chop the meat into bite-size pieces and swap it in.) Crumbled crackers add a welcome salty crunch on top. While the dish bakes, toss together a simple salad with a citrusy vinaigrette to cut through all the richness.

Baked Chicken Meatballs
These weeknight-friendly chicken meatballs come together in a snap, with minimal chopping and minimal mess. They’re made with a panade — a simple combination of bread crumbs and milk — which makes for light and tender meatballs. Baked meatballs aren’t quite as charred and caramelized as the pan-fried variety, but they do brown nicely underneath, thanks to contact with the hot sheet pan. A hit with adults and kids, chicken meatballs can be served as a snack with your favorite sauce for dipping, or tossed with a simple tomato sauce and served over pasta.