Whip this up: Evaporated milk makes a fluffy dessert topping

Whipped evaporated milk on fruit cups. From Meals.comEvaporated milk can be whipped into a stand-up topping for fruit salad, pie, cake and other desserts. Apparently grandmothers have been doing it since the Depression days.

We like to think of it as a lighter option that can always be conveniently on hand in cans or powdered form. Meals.com gives the following instructions to make about 3 cups of this whipped cream alternative. The recipe should be halved if needed, so all the topping will be used the same day.

1. Pour a cup of NESTLÉ® CARNATION® evaporated milk into a small mixing bowl. Place mixer blades or a whisk in bowl. Freeze for about 30 minutes, or until ice crystals form.

2. Meanwhile, plate up each serving of your chosen dessert. Fruit can go into pretty crystal or glass dessert bowls, as shown. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. Using a mixer (or a whisk twisted rapidly between both palms), whip the chilled evaporated milk on high speed for one minute or until it's very frothy. Add 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of lime juice, beating for two minutes or until the mixture is stiff. Immediately spoon topping onto fruit or other cold dessert. Sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired. 

Note: You can also whip vigorously with a chilled whisk. Play around as we did, adding drops of food color and even cocoa powder to extend the options for this lighter-than-cream whipped topping.

Vanilla whip: Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla extract (or another flavor) instead of the lime juice.

Cocoa whip: Sift the powdered sugar with two tablespoons of cocoa powder for a chocolatey twist.

If you need the topping to hold up longer, gelatin powder can help it stay in shape for about 30 minutes. Instructions at Meals.com. The topping can be made with ice water, nonfat dry milk powder, gelatin powder and sugar.

And, it can be blended into puréed fruit. Try the mango mousse recipe, which can be easily adapted to use blueberries, strawberries and other juicy seasonal fruits.