Don’t Throw That Out!

Slightly sour milk can still be used for baking. VGstockstudio/Shutterstock

Have you ever walked into the kitchen to get that first cup of coffee only to discover someone left the ice cream on the counter all night? Or the milk? I don’t hate spoiled food as much as I did before. I found many clever ways to use items I used to throw out.

Sour Milk

It often happens in warm weather, with even a limited milk supply; some of it turns sour before you can use it. Don’t throw it out, even if there is only a little. Sour milk can be a valuable kitchen asset.

Pour the remnants into a clean lidded container and keep it in the fridge until you have accumulated 1 cup. Then plan to use it as soon as it thickens because milk becomes bitter if it stands too long.

Note: Recipes using sour milk must include baking soda.

Sour Milk Biscuits

2 cups flour 1 tablespoon shortening 1 cup thick sour milk 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Sift the flour, salt, and baking soda together. Rub in the shortening with a spoon. Add the milk and stir lightly. The dough should be soft.

Drop by spoonfuls into greased muffin tins and bake in a hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

Melted Ice Cream

Use melted ice cream for baking a cake! Your liquid, fat, and flavorings are premeasured in the ice cream. And if that ice cream just happens to have big chunks of chocolate, pralines, cookie dough, cherries, or nuts, all the better. Like the ice cream, your cake will be filled with yummy goodness.

Melted Ice Cream Cake

Makes 1 bundt cake

• 1 boxed cake mix (15.25 ounces)
• 2 cups melted ice cream, any flavor(s)
• 2 eggs (optional; see Notes)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and move the rack to the middle. Lightly mist a 12-cup Bundt or angel food cake pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour.

Place the cake mix, melted ice cream, and eggs (optional) in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute to mix. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes longer, scraping the sides as necessary until the batter is thick and well-blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the rubber spatula.

Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and starts pulling away from the pan’s sides, 38 to 42 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a small plate or rack, then again onto a second rack so that the cake is right-side-up to complete cooling, 30 minutes more. Finish with a light dusting of powdered sugar or your favorite icing.

Recipe Notes

You can melt the ice cream in the microwave on “Defrost.” Check and stir it every few minutes until it becomes liquid.

A pint of ice cream may not produce 2 cups once melted because some manufacturers pump air in during manufacturing.

In a pinch, you can leave out the eggs. I did once by accident, and my German chocolate cake mix with Haagen Dazs vanilla ice cream was awesome.

You can use any variety of cake mix with any combination of ice creams you might have on hand. Boring flavors will produce a bland cake. Get creative with flavors. I’ve used cake mixes with pudding, double pudding, no pudding, extra moist, and ultra moist, all with good results. I’ve mixed together several flavors and brands of ice cream to come up with 2 cups and to use up those last bits covered with ice crystals hiding in the back of the freezer.