Name: Sweetened Condensed Milk Substitute I
Ingredients: ½ cup butter flavored shortening; 2 cups white sugar; 2 cups powdered milk; 1 cup boiling water

Why it works: Butter and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 81,283 recipes. Both carry (z)-4-heptenal, which smells biscuit, cream. The science ↓

Sweetened Condensed Milk Substitute I

Ingredients

½ cup butter flavored shortening
2 cups white sugar
2 cups powdered milk
1 cup boiling water

Directions

Put the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
Refrigerate in a covered container. The mixture will thicken as it stands.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

300Calories

8 gProtein

20 gFat

25 gCarbs

Counts 3 of 4 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 3 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Milk	1 cup (244ml) whole	149
Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	102
Sugar	1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated	49
Water	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Butter + milktop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together81,283 recipes

Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
Butter + sugartop 17% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together98,233 recipes

Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Sugar + milktop 18% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together77,875 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).

Sugar and milk barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 77,875 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Powdered milk: Provides milk solids that give the substitute its body and creamy flavour.
White sugar: Adds sweetness and bulk, and helps the mixture thicken and keep its texture.
Butter flavored shortening: Adds fat for richness and a smooth, creamy mouthfeel.

The step that matters

Blending until smooth. Powdered milk and sugar dissolve only when fully processed. Lumps left behind can leave a grainy texture, so the blender should run until the mixture is completely smooth.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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Sweetened Condensed Milk Substitute I