Dutch Koffiemelk

[Renée Profile]

We both loved the coffee in the Netherlands so much and wondered what kind of milk they added to make it creamy. Although I buy recently roasted Monsoon Malabar beans from Booths, mine wasn't quite the same. I bought some recommended beans from a coffee specialist shop over there, but when I arrived home, it was no different to what I make. I've been doing searches and have come up with some information. I did try evaporated milk, but apparently, the coffee has to be stronger to balance the flavours.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/706235

... and more information

"As for koffiemelk, it is what the Dutch put in their coffee. An average supermarket will stock maybe 10 brands, in sizes from 100ml to 2L.


It looks like light brown evaporated milk. I suspect it is a superior grade of evaporated milk, either with caramel added or by some kind of heat treatment to "caramelize" the lactose".

I am now thinking of trying Dulce di Leche.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Hi Renee

If you Google koffiemelk the first thing that comes up is the Dutch Wiki entry

http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koffiemelk

Naturally I can't read it

But Google translates the first sentence as

Coffee milk or evaporated milk is concentrated milk intended for use in coffee.

In Berlin my colleagues also like evaporated milk in coffee, and (which may make a difference) they like the stuff that comes in cardboard packs, like juice & UHT milk which doesn't have that "tinny" taste

You can get the packs in some English supermarkets now, I've seen them, though hard to find online oddly

[Dena Profile]

Hi Renee, don't forget how sweet dulce de leche is. OK if you take sugar. Years ago - (shhh in the 60's) I had a recipe for a dessert from carnation evaporated milk. It used to be boiled in the can (unpierced - so I had to make sure is just simmered) after a certain amount of time, it was cooled and whipped (then mixed with a jelly - it made a mousse type pud that we called "flop" because that was what it sounded like when spooned out and put on a plate.

I mentioned that on the BBC food board and everyone saying you couldn't do it with evap but I know I did, my son remembers it too. Kids loved it, I remember after one of Mike's party an embarrassed mother knocked on the door and asked what "flop" was as her son had raved about it, and she wanted to make it. She had looked everywhere but could find a dessert called flop

Reason I posted this maybe you could try. If folks were right on the board I must have been very lucky as I made it quite often and never had it explode. Saying that I don't know if I would have tried it if I had read their comments before I first made it.

[Renée Profile]

Thanks, Sue.

I did a Google translation for the first part and this is what came up:

"Coffee milk or evaporated milk is concentrated milk intended for use in coffee. In practice, coffee creamer is evaporated (concentrated), homogenized and sterilized, but no sugar is added as is the case with condensed milk.

Traditionally hot (boiled) milk added to coffee. The coffee is then put little stronger in order to compensate for the dilution. Cold milk in the coffee cools the coffee too much. Therefore, the milk in the dairy evaporated, that is to say, there is extracted from water so that the milk is concentrated to evaporated milk".

We are going to Sittard again in Limburg and will ask the hotel owners what they use. Colin knows them quite well. The "creamer" as they call it, is served in a small jug and is slightly darker than evaporated milk.

[Pampy Profile]

Hi Renee, don't forget how sweet dulce de leche is. OK if you take sugar. Years ago - (shhh in the 60's) I had a recipe for a dessert from carnation evaporated milk. It used to be boiled in the can (unpierced - so I had to make sure is just simmered) after a certain amount of time, it was cooled and whipped (then mixed with a jelly - it made a mousse type pud that we called "flop" because that was what it sounded like when spooned out and put on a plate.

I mentioned that on the BBC food board and everyone saying you couldn't do it with evap but I know I did, my son remembers it too. Kids loved it, I remember after one of Mike's party an embarrassed mother knocked on the door and asked what "flop" was as her son had raved about it, and she wanted to make it. She had looked everywhere but could find a dessert called flop

Reason I posted this maybe you could try. If folks were right on the board I must have been very lucky as I made it quite often and never had it explode. Saying that I don't know if I would have tried it if I had read their comments before I first made it.

Wasn't condensed milk that was boiled in its unopened tin, used to make banoffee pie? I'm sure I've seen several recipes that makes the caramel this way. Don't think there's any reason evap. couldn't be treated in the same way.

[Renée Profile]

Dena, sorry we crossed! Yes, I remember that dessert made from the whisked evaporated milk and jelly, which my mum made before the 60s! I made it for Charlotte a couple of years ago and she didn't like it. Tastes much have changed!

Yes, you're right about the condensed milk being boiled in a pan, Pampy, although I never tried it.

[kavey Profile Website]

I always have my coffee with condensed milk, inspired by Vietnamese but I use instant coffee rather than filter. Obviously, I don't add sugar when using condensed milk, whereas I do when given coffee made with regular milk.

[BelgianEndive Profile]

Hi Renée, sorry didn't see this before. You have loads of small bottles for "koffiemelk" both in Holland and in Belgium. It is thick milk, not quite white, can be sweet or non sweet and it is called Koffiemelk on the label. You have small bottles as I mentioned and then you have the cans of condensed milk which mostly are really sweet and there are tubes too. I use the cans of sweetened condensed milk for Key lime pie. When you go next to Maastricht or similar go to a supermarket and load up! I never use it as we have our coffee black. Funny you should mention Monsoon Malabar, just had an expresso of that!

[Joanbunting Profile]

The mere thought of milk in coffee makes me feel funny, M too. However i do know that our Durch neighbour has those small bottles of stuff that she offers guests when taking coffee. She doesn't like it though!

I often boil up condensed milk to make a banoffee pie when the GCs come and sometimes for naughty adults too.

I used to put cans of evap into the freezer then whip up the contents to add to jelly when the kids were little. It really did mount up like thick cream.

I always make custard (Birds) with evaporated milk and rice pudding with half water half evap. The children were brough up on it because there was no fresh milk on Long Island and they just got used to the taste so no other will do.

[Renée Profile]

Thank you for all your kind comments!

I've never cared for black coffee, so have always used milk. Colin and I loved the coffee in Holland, so I was determined to find out what they put in it. The koffiemelk seemed to add so much to the flavour and density of the coffee. Anyway, thanks to you, I now know what I'm looking for! Yes, Elisa, I will stock up when we are in NL in July. I can probably get it in Sittard where we will be staying, from the supermarket there.

[cooksalot Profile]

I've just come back from a couple of days in the Netherlands. I noticed many people seem to use powdered "creamer" for their coffees. Didn't find it too bad!

[Renée Profile]

Hi cooksalot!

In the hotel where we stayed in Limburg, it was served in a small jug and seemed quite concentrated, because we only needed a small amount. I did try evaporated milk when back home, but it wasn't the same.

[strictlysalsaclare Profile]

Hello All

I can't help with the koffiemelk question, but my gran used to make those evaporated milk jellies for me as a kid which I used to love. As I have lost my sweet tooth to a certain extent these days, I sometimes make something similar with yogurt instead of the evap. We do enjoy this cooling and tasty pud during warmer weather. I usually oomph up the jelly these days, especially if I have too much juice when stewing some fruits for a previous pud. Or I'll buy a tin of say blackcurrants, then blitz and sieve the pips out and add the puree to the jelly instead of the cold water.

[Puss-in-boots Profile]

Hi Renee, OH just said that the carnation one is nothing like you get over in NL but you can buy koffiemelk on line. If not he suggests you bring a load back with you. Sorry not much help.

[Renée Profile]

Hi Puss! That's actually a great help and might bring some back and get some online, too.

Clare, I used to love those jelly foam desserts that mum used to make occasionally. I used to make jelly for the boys from orange juice, also ice lollies.