This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Nestlé NIDO® at Publix. The opinions, text and love for Papitas de Leche are mine. Thanks for reading and supporting the brands that make Savoir Faire possible.
Today’s recipe is one of those sweet treats I grew up with. They are called Papitas de Leche, which literally means “little milk potatoes” because they resemble mini pealed potatoes.
However, they are made with three ingredients and not one is potato related! Yes, these Papitas de Leche are made with NIDO®, sweet condensed milk and confectioners’ sugar.
A history written with NIDO
Note that I said NIDO to refer to the powdered milk I grew up with. Saying that NIDO is part of my history is not an exaggeration. It was my grandma and mom’s favorite powdered milk and now it’s mine.
When I stopped breastfeeding my two boys and after a short period on baby formula, our pediatrician prescribed Nestlé NIDO® Kinder 1+. Later we switched to Nestlé NIDO® Full Cream Fortified Milk, commonly known as NIDO Fortificada. Up until now! Being the mother of two teenagers, NIDO continues being a staple in my kitchen as the dry whole milk for my whole family and it’s also a great source of vitamin A, C, D, Calcium and Zinc!
A traditional temptation
Originally from the Venezuelan Andean region, these milk truffles are hard to resist. Papitas de Leche are part of any important Venezuelan celebration including baby showers, baptisms, birthdays, first communions, graduations and weddings. There is not one dessert table missing these petits fours because they are simply de-li-ci-ous!
Of course, you don’t need a special occasion to enjoy them. In Caracas, the city where I was born and raised, my mom used to buy Papitas de Leche and would give them to my sister and I as a special treat after school. I loved the sweetness, as well as the aroma and flavor infused by the cloves in the truffles.
How to make Papitas del Leche
In my extended family, my cousin Adriana is the Papitas de Leche queen. Sometimes, depending on the occasion, she uses food coloring and they look so pretty. The recipe that I’m sharing today is hers.
Traditionally, you combine the dry ingredients, add the sweetened condensed milk, and mix with a wooden spoon until a thick, homogeneous paste is formed.
However, following the advice of my friend Pilar, I saved time and energy by mixing the dry ingredients in the bowl of a standing electric mixer. Then, with the kneading blade I kneaded it until a firm but malleable dough was formed.
To make the papitas, I divided the dough into 36 pieces, each weighing 20 grams, and formed an equal number of little balls with my hands. Once the balls were made, I dusted my hands with confectioner’s sugar to give the truffles their matte appearance and inserted a clove on each.
As you can see, these milk truffles don’t involve any cooking!
Save with NIDO at Publix
And there is more! Because we’re celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month you can save by buying your ingredients in your local Publix, just as I did:
$2.00 off Any ONE (1) NIDO® Dry Milk 16-53oz.
Start Date: 8/31/19
End Date: 9/28/19
Back to my papitas. Once you make your petits fours, place them in mini paper cups and pack them in a tin or box and you’ll have beautiful homemade presents for teachers, coworkers, girl friends, aunts, grandmas… you name it and I guarantee you nobody will resist to such sweet treat!
Without further ado, following is this super easy recipe.
Papitas de Leche (Venezuelan Milk Truffles)
Ingredients
- 2 cups NIDO® Full Cream Fortified Milk
- 1 14- oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar plus 1 tablespoon for dusting
- 36 cloves
- Electric Standing Mixer
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric standing mixer, combine the NIDO® Full Cream Fortified Milk with the confectioner’s sugar.
- Add the sweetened condensed milk and with the kneading blade, knead it until a firm but malleable dough was formed about 5 minutes.
- Divide the dough in 36 pieces of 20 grams each.
- With your hands, form the balls and place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
- Dust your hands with the reserved confectioner’s sugar and cover each ball.
- Place the balls in the baking sheet and insert a clove on each.
Nutrition
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I am a writer who cooks or a cook who writes: the order of the qualities does not alter the product. Since 2010 I made SAVOIR FAIRE the place where my two passions converge and now I develop recipes professionally and work as a strategist and creator of digital content, including the production of cooking videos.
