Goan Milk Cream | Milk Toffee

Milk cream or milk toffee is a quintessential Christmas sweet prepared amongst the Goan Catholics and East Indians. It is a delicious fudge made with milk, sugar, and cashew nuts. Sharing my Mum’s milk cream recipe with condensed milk, a much quicker version that tastes just as good as the ones made traditionally.

My Christmas sweet platter is incomplete without marzipan, milk cream, and fruit cake! If either of these is missing, my platter just feels incomplete, that’s how much I love these sweets!

Making a batch of milk toffee always sparks beautiful memories! I am transported back to my younger days when we would help my Mum prepare this sweet. After we were done with dinner, my younger sister, Rochelle, and I would prep up to make milk cream. I can still picture shaping them so meticulously and also, gobbling some right away 😀

These look like Christmas marzipan sweets, but are usually not colored, and are mostly shaped into pretty shells. Along with the shell shapes, I’ve also made some flower shapes. Either way, don’t they look good?

These milk cream sweets are super addictive, and a little labor intensive, but the shortcut version using condensed milk that I’ve learned from my Mum is a true lifesaver!

Ingredients needed

Sweetened condensed milk: I’m using just one can of condensed milk for this recipe. If you like to make a bigger batch, use 2 or more cans and increase the quantity of remaining ingredients accordingly. Keep in mind that the cooking time will increase

Cashew nuts: I’ve used skinned, unsalted cashews. I’ve sifted the powder for a smooth appearance. You may use readymade cashew flour too.

Butter: You will need some butter for the milk mixture, as well as to grease your palms and molds while shaping the milk creams. This will prevent them from sticking too much while shaping. I’ve used salted butter, the salt helps balance out the sweetness in this recipe. If using unsalted butter, add a tiny pinch of salt, about 1/8 teaspoon.

Vanilla extract: I’ve used regular vanilla extract to flavor the milk creams. You can also use clear vanilla extract to keep the color of the milk toffee lighter.

How to make Goan milk cream (milk toffee) – Step-by-step process

Step 1: Grind cashews to a fine powder

Add 50 grams (1/3 cup) of skinned, unsalted cashews to a blender and grind to a fine powder. Use the pulse setting to grind cashews so that they don’t release oil. Sift and set aside. (Photos 1 to 3)

Grease a heatproof or steel plate with melted butter and set it aside. (Photo 5)

Step 2: Cook the fudge mixture

In a heavy-bottomed or nonstick pan, add 400 grams can of sweetened condensed milk, along with the cashew powder. (Photos 6 and 7)

Switch on the heat to medium-low, and stir with a silicone or wooden spatula until smooth. (Photo 8)

Continue stirring until the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. (Photos 9 to 11)

Now, add 14 grams (1 tablespoon) of salted butter and stir till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Takes another 5 minutes approx on medium-low heat. (Photos 12 and 13)

Add 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes. (Photos 14 and 15)

Switch off the heat.

To test: Drop a little mixture into a bowl of ice-cold water, if you can form a small ball by rolling it between your fingers, it’s done. If not, continue cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes. (Photos 16 and 17)

Step 3: Transfer to a plate and cool the mixture

Transfer this mix to a greased plate, and spread it out evenly in a flat layer using a spatula. Allow to cool down for 20-30 minutes. (Photo 18)

Grease a spatula with melted butter or oil.

After 30 minutes, lightly knead the mixture like a ‘dough’ using a spatula to fold the bottom of the mixture towards the center until the mixture starts coming together and forms a ball.

You don’t need to form a smooth ball, rather just get the mixture together until it is no longer sticky. You may also do this with your fingers, but do not over-knead the mixture. (Photos 19 and 20)

Step 4: Shape and unmold the milk toffee

Grease the molds and your palms with melted butter. (Photo 21)

Pinch portions of the dough, and make smooth balls by rolling between your palms.

Press into silicone/rubber molds to shape the milk toffee. Remove excess dough and smoothen the surface using your fingers. (Photos 22 and 23)

Gently tap the back of the mold to release the molded milk cream and place them on a plate or tray lined with parchment paper. (Photos 24 and 25)

Allow them to dry overnight on the counter. They will feel firm to the touch but have a soft and melt-in-the-mouth interior.

Storage instructions

Store milk cream in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. You may also refrigerate it for a longer shelf life. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Recipe Tips

Heavy-bottomed pan: I prefer using a good quality, wide, nonstick pan for this recipe since the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom. Also, it offers more surface area and hence the mixture cooks uniformly and faster as opposed to using a wok. You may also use any other heavy-bottomed pan for this recipe.

Cook on low to medium-low heat: Cooking on low heat will prevent caramelization of the sugar present in condensed milk, thereby retaining a lighter color in the finished milk creams. If you cook this mixture on high heat, you may end up with a darker-colored milk cream. Also, you run the risk of burning the mixture.

Stir frequently: Do not leave the pan unattended as the mixture will stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Burnt milk cream is no good, so please keep an eye out.

Do not overcook the mixture: Overcooking will cause the milk toffee to turn hard when it sets.

The right time to take the pan off the heat: When you see the mixture leaving the sides of the pan, check if it can form a ball as directed in the instructions above. If you take the pan off the heat very early, the mixture will be sticky and difficult to mold into shapes.

Allow the mixture to cool completely: When the mixture is warm, it is sticky, and you may end up using more butter to grease your palms to shape them. When the mixture is at room temperature, it is a lot easier to press it into the molds and shape them. They also unmold effortlessly.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between traditional milk cream and milk cream made with condensed milk?

Traditionally, milk cream is prepared by reducing whole milk to half of its quantity, and sweetening it with sugar. Ground cashews are then added and the mixture is cooked until it thickens and leaves the edges of the pan.

The shortcut version just uses canned condensed milk instead of simmering the milk for a long time. Also, since condensed milk is already sweet, it eliminates the need to add extra sugar.

I’ve tasted both versions and I don’t find much difference quite frankly. The ones made with whole milk tend to look a little whiter and a little softer than the ones made from condensed milk. Regardless, if you follow all my tips, these too will turn light in color with an equally delicious texture and flavor!

Can I make this without a mold?

If you do not have silicon molds, you can roll the mix out with the help of a rolling pin (grease the board and rolling pin with little butter so that it can be rolled without any sticking) and cut it into desired shapes.

Alternatively, you can set the mixture in an 8-inch square pan overnight, cut into squares and serve it as a fudge.

You may shape them by hand too. You can use a toothpick or fork to make designs over them.

Can I use other nuts?

I personally prefer using cashew nuts in this recipe. But you can use other finely ground nut flour like almond flour, walnut flour, hazelnut flour, etc.

You may also enjoy the Goan Christmas sweets

• Bebinca
• Guava cheese
• Marzipan
• Coconut Toffee
• Baath cake
• Doce de grao (chana dal fudge)
• Karanji/Neureos
• Kormolas
• Shankapali
• Kalkal
• Walnut fudge
• Coconut ice
• Christmas fruit cake
• Date rolls

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Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published on Nov 22, 2016. It has been republished and updated with new images, video, and content on Dec 21, 2022.