Dairy is a health issue to some family members. We usually keep just soy in the fridge. I love experimenting with different foods and techniques so I am going to try tofu approach first. This is a recipe I can pass on to my vegetarian daughter! I didn't even think about almond milk! I didn't think the fat content would be right and the taste might be altered. The almond milk would have a pleasant flavor though. I experimented with powder milk in an 'instant' pudding and it flopped royally. I live in a very hot humid are and sometimes the high humidity can cause something to flop (not set). Thank you all for the info!!
But you could add some tofu whisked in a blender or mini-prep food processor and see how that works for a milk like base. If you aren't adverse to beef base products..a touch of unflavored gelatin to the soy blend could add texture. Or for vegan, a touch of agar agar (available from health food stores or in some supermarkets as "Agar" thickening). It's seaweed based..and used in commercial ice creams and sherbets to round out the texture.
the answer to this question is determined by what you're making with milk. there's a number of ways of achieving extra moistness in a cake, let's say. I like to add extra egg yolks or substitute some of the white sugar for light/dark brown sugar or use buttermilk or lower baking powder or substitute oil for some of the butter... what recipe are you wanting to substitute for & why. p.s. I Love Rhonda35's advice!
I grew up in a few places where the only dairy available was powdered or canned milk. For cooking and baking, powdered and canned are adequate, if not equal, substitutes. I've tried every trick imaginable to make either one taste good enough to drink, but nothing beats real milk with Oreos or warm brownies.
I've been in a few pickles in which I've used coffee creamer (such as CoffeeMate)--both liquid and reconstituted powder--in such things as biscuits or frostings. Not the best, but when you're desperate, it works.
Assuming that dairy isn't an issue: I just read in the July/August 2011 issue of Cook's Illustrated that canned evaporated milk can be substituted for fresh -- not in a 1:1 ratio like the label may claim, but with a 50-50 diluted mix of evaporated milk and water, subbed in for the same amount of fresh milk.
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But you could add some tofu whisked in a blender or mini-prep food processor and see how that works for a milk like base. If you aren't adverse to beef base products..a touch of unflavored gelatin to the soy blend could add texture. Or for vegan, a touch of agar agar (available from health food stores or in some supermarkets as "Agar" thickening). It's seaweed based..and used in commercial ice creams and sherbets to round out the texture.
I've been in a few pickles in which I've used coffee creamer (such as CoffeeMate)--both liquid and reconstituted powder--in such things as biscuits or frostings. Not the best, but when you're desperate, it works.