Why Nadiya Hussain Always Has Milk Powder On Hand

It's not just the average person who is trying to figure out how to make the items in their pantry and refrigerators stretch further. Whether due to the pandemic or inflation rates, even your favorite celebrity chefs probably know what it's like to be forced to find substitutes for those things that you just don't have in your kitchen right now. For the chef, TV host, and cookbook author Nadiya Hussain, that substitute is milk powder. "I always have milk powder, which sounds ridiculous, but we see it on the shelves all the time," she told Esquire. "Somebody's got to be buying it if it's on the shelves every time you go there."

While Hussain reaches for the milk powder if she's out of milk, she has another, more decadent reason for viewing it as an essential staple. "Add a bit of milk powder to some cocoa, a little bit of honey, and you've got the most delicious hot chocolate." There may not be a better way to explain that milk powder can be used for more than just baking than by saying the words "hot chocolate." But while we love that suggestion — and plan to try it stat — it's also important to remember that powdered milk is just dehydrated fresh milk, and anything that we add milk to, we can also use milk powder.

Not only does milk powder add fat and protein to your dishes without adding the moisture of fresh milk, but milk powder can make your baked goods even more flavorful. Nadiya Hussain may love milk powder for her hot chocolate, but it's clear from her cookbooks that she reaches for it while making other recipes, also. Milk powder is included in her recipe for Earl Grey and pistachio cake. In her book, "Nadiya's Simple Spices," skimmed milk powder is a major ingredient in the milk fudge for her milk fudge flapjacks.

There are also many different kinds of milk powder on the market, depending on what you want to use it for, or what your dietary preferences are. Nestle's Carnation Instant Nonfat Dry Milk is often what comes to mind, which can be helpful if you're looking to cook something lower in fat, but there are also whole milk powders and buttermilk powders. For those looking for a way to incorporate turmeric, there are Golden milk powders. And for everyone who either can't have dairy or chooses not to, there is milk powder made from soy, almonds, coconut, oats, and more. If you don't have milk powder in your cupboard, now is the time to remedy that.