Let's face it, a bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk was the stuff of our childhood dreams. Peeling off that shiny, foil-like piece of golden paper (the Andheri-equivalent of Wonka's 'Golden Ticket') and licking every drop of the melted chocolate bar was one of my favourite after-school activities. This article, however, attempts to adult things up by bringing to you new and interesting ways of using that beloved bar to create easy recipes that represent how far you've come along (yes, we would still hold out that bar under the sun to enjoy it in its purest, melty form).
1. Easy-Peasy Chocolate Sauce
Well, first-off throw out that bottle of Hershey's sauce in the fridge and make this to truly savour what a good chocolate sauce is all about.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, chuck in 2 bars of Dairy Milk (broken) and 1/2 cup of cream. Melt on a low heat till both are combined well. For best results, add 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt for savoury goodness, or 1/2 teaspoon of coffee powder for greater, chocolatey depth. Enjoy with ice-cream or just eat out of the jar!
2. Chunky Fruit And Nut Fudge
Once you've tried this, you'll make permanent space for it in your fridge and even make the effort of making several batches to gift on festivals and special occasions.
Line a baking dish/glass dish with foil. In a saucepan, chuck in 5 broken bars of Fruit and Nut Dairy Milk ( the 36-gram ones, broken), 1/2 cup of condensed milk, 2 tablespoons butter and melt till well combined. In the foil-lined dish, throw in a mix of nuts of your choice, marshmallows, Cadbury Gems and a packet of crushed digestive biscuits. Pour over the chocolate mixture, mix well and leave to set in the fridge overnight. The next morning, dust with powdered sugar and cut into squares. And that's it, voila-fudge is ready for service.
3. Dairy Milk Covered Biscuits
Another childhood favourite, the treat every mother sent on Annual Day, Christmas Picnic and any junior class event, these are absolutely fantastic. I advise using Orange-Flavoured Marie or Digestives, but that's entirely up to you.
Melt 2 bars of Dairy Milk with a 2 tablespoons of milk for 5 biscuits. Spread chocolate on one side of a biscuit and freeze. Turn and repeat on the other side till the whole biscuit is covered in a sweet layer of chocolate.
4. The Ultimate Cadbury Bread & Butter Pudding
I promise you, this will become your new midnight go-to sweet treat.
Lightly butter a baking dish. Cut 6 slices of good, crusty day-old white bread or honey loaf into cubes and chuck into the dish. Melt 4 bars of Dairy Milk with 1/2 cup cream and 2 tablespoons butter and keep aside. In a bowl, whisk 2 eggs until light and fluffy and fold into the chocolate mixture. Pour this glistening, liquid chocolate mix over the bread and bake at 175C till the crust is all golden and puffy.
Enjoy a good-size serving with a giant scoop of ice-cream!
5. Dairy Milk Covered Popcorn
Make popcorn using your preferred method (microwave or traditional). Break the chocolate bar into tiny pieces (#SpoonTip: Use a cheese grater) and stir in while the popcorn's still hot.
Next time, you decide to Netflix the weekend away, whip up a batch for the ultimate home get-away.
6. Cadbury Coconut Ladoo Bites
This is where Indian traditionalism meets American capitalism. And trust me, it tastes absolutely smashing. Inspired by Bounty and blessed by Ma's inception of early morning treats on Ganesh Chaturthi, these ladoo bites are what have kept me going in life.
In a heavy-bottomed kadhai, throw in 5 cups of grated coconut and 1 entire can of sweetened condensed milk. Heat the mixture, stirring constantly, so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Once heated, cook on slow for 5 minutes till the mixture leaves the side of the pan. Make tiny ladoos using oiled hands and refrigerate overnight.
Next morning, coat these bites entirely in melted Dairy Milk and roll in grated coconut. Be generous and share with roommates, or enjoy secretly under the covers, while reading Pride and Prejudice.
While it is hard to accept the fact that Cadbury decided to do away with the golden wrappers and adopt regular, extra-thick purple outer covers instead of the double layering of our childhood, I am proud to announce that the name is honest and true, and there is actually a ton of dairy in Dairy Milk. Find out things you know and don't about this miracle bar here.
And this is how mankind was meant to enjoy a bar of Dairy Milk ;)