10.18.2008

Top milk















Top milk is a discovery too tickling to keep to myself. As I flipped through a book of recipes the other day, I came across an entry for the phrase.
Top milk? I wondered aloud. I'd never seen the term in print.
In my head, of course, it was perfectly clear: I'd used a sort of top milk the other day in place of half and half, pouring the cream as best I could from a well-settled jug of milk. A bit of the skimmed liquid fell out as well, mixing with the heavy fat into something reminiscent of the cream that is best in coffee.
With no supposition that this imagined definition could hold true, I turned to Merriam Webster for assistance:


[Main Entry: top milk
Function: noun
Date: 1891
: the upper layer of milk in a container enriched by whatever cream has risen]

The date was a decade or so before homogenization and pasteurization changed the look of the milk bottle forever.
Before this new milk overshadowed the old raw, Louis Starr dedicated a whole book to the topic of proper milk feeding regimens. To my little patients—some of whom in the rapid passing of time, may soon assume parental duties—this volume is affectionately dedicated, he writes, introducing The Hygiene of the Nursery.

As this 1913 manual described, top milk is procured with a one ounce ladle, scooping the settled cream from a chilled quart bottle and putting it aside for a formula mixture.
This milk when used in making a properly combined food mixture gives a proportion of fat to proteins of 2 to 1, he instructs, blending top milk with sugar, lime-water, and water. For the first 6 months of life, he says, this should do any infant well when needed.

While I prefer cake over formula, it's amazing the fun a word can make.

TOP MILK CAKE

(adapted from a recipe I found here)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 by 13 inch Pyrex baking pan and dust lightly with flour. Sift together
1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup cake flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cream 12 tablespoons butter and 1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Add 3 duck eggs (I found some at the Cohasset Farmers market, but extra large chicken eggs will also do), 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, and mix well. Add 1 cup top milk slowly, mixing batter well as you pour.

9 comments :

Anonymous said...

Elspeth; When I was a little girl way back in the 1920s unhomonigized milk was left in bottles at the back door.In cold weather cream rose to the top and froze..I can still remember how we children would fight for first dibs for cream.It was so good on top of hot oatmeal.Maybe that is when I learned to get up very early! Hugs,love Biee

Anonymous said...

Elspeth; When I was a little girl way back in the 1920s unhomonigized milk was left in bottles at the back door.In cold weather cream rose to the top and froze..I can still remember how we children would fight for first dibs for cream.It was so good on top of hot oatmeal.Maybe that is when I learned to get up very early! Hugs,love Biee

KatB said...

I found your post while searching for the definition of "top milk" as it's seen in my favorite 1940's cookbook. Thanks for the info! :)

Elspeth said...

Hi Kristen:

Glad you found us! And now, of course, I have to ask: what is your favorite 1940s cookbook?

All the best,
Elspeth

Anonymous said...

What can I use in place of "Top Milk" I found all sorts of recipes calling for top milk in an old Watkins cook book.

Elspeth said...

Anonymous: Half and half is a good substitute.

All the best,
Elspeth

Anonymous said...

I am a "Pennsylvania dutch" baker and I often use heavy cream in place of "top milk". Recipes turn out delicious!

Unknown said...

I also have an old picture cookbook from Betty Crocker and the cream puffs call for top milk I use half and half but later on when I made them again I was in a bind and couldn't run to the store so I used evaporated milk and it worked just fine they came out delicious as ever. Thanks to Betty Crocker of course!

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