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Blueberry ricotta hotcakes -

Not quite a pancake or even a flapjack, but hotcakes still require milk for their wonderfully fluffy textures. Tip: to extend its shelf life, store milk in a cool and stable environment in your fridge (but not the fridge door, where temperatures can fluctuate).

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Milk ice-cream -

Take three ingredients—milk, sugar, and vanilla extract—and you're halfway to whipping up a yummy ice-cream dish. And guess what? It has half the fat of regular ice-cream, so there's no need to feel guilty!

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Watering the garden -

What? Surely not! Well, yes, actually. Adding a few drops of milk to water before watering the garden adds a calcium nutrient boost to plant and flower beds.

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Pancakes -

Milk and pancakes are a match made in heaven, and so versatile. Very often you'll be using milk to create tasty fillings too, like ricotta or cottage cheese.

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Whipped cream -

Did you know that you can turn milk into homemade whipped cream without using heavy cream? Instead, add unflavored gelatin and confectioners' sugar for a sneaky but equally wicked substitute.

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Beauty therapy -

Cleopatra was on to something when she insisted on bathing in a tub of milk. The lactic acid in milk helps reduce pigmentation, heals and hydrates dry skin, and helps counter acne. Taking a bath in milk is probably a tad extravagant, but using milk as a daily facial can work wonders.

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Cottage cheese -

Use nonfat milk when making cottage cheese. Light and healthy, this cheese is super nutritious and makes a perfect sandwich spread or baked potato topping.

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Frozen milk cubes -

A fun way to use up milk, especially on a hot summer's day. Freeze the milk and drop a couple of cubes into chilled coffee for a thirst-quenching caffeine pick-me-up.

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Mozzarella cheese -

Another cheese you can easily make using leftover milk, mozzarella can be used in a variety of recipes. The best is made from the milk of the water buffalo. But you can use any type of milk and still taste Italian.

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Homemade latte -

Impress by making a perfect latte without using a machine. The trick is to shake the milk in a jar until it doubles in volume. Then drizzle over coffee in a style that would impress Picasso.

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Country gravy -

Sometimes called white gravy, this is really just a pan sauce made from the drippings in a skillet after cooking meat. But the key ingredient is milk, whisked in with gusto and left to simmer until thickened.

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Rum baba -

Rum babas actually only need a drop of milk in the mix, but these boozy treats taste so good you'll end up putting aside a carton as an excuse to make more.

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Poppy seed milk bread -

A cup of milk for taste and a few poppy seeds for crunch mixed with other key ingredients and you won't savor a more delicious and wholesome homemade bread.

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Chocolate milk -

For the most heavenly result, this favorite standby should be made with good quality cocoa powder and whole milk. Add powered sugar and a bit of vanilla to taste.

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Cauliflower cheese -

A traditional British dish but often called cauliflower gratin beyond the United Kingdom, this appealing dish uses around three cups of milk in its preparation.

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Eggnog -

Traditionally a Christmas season treat in Canada and the United States, eggnog is made with milk, cream, sugar, whipped egg whites, and egg yolks. But hey, why wait once a year to knock back this delectable drink?

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Poached haddock -

Poaching is a very common method for cooking smoked or unsmoked haddock. And the way to do it? Pour milk over the fish, bring to a simmer, and poach for about six minutes. The leftover milk can be used for a fish pie, soup, or sauce. Easy!

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Tea with milk -

For some, adding milk to tea is sacrilege. And sure, some teas are best savored without it. But tea with milk combines the comforts of freshly brewed tea with the rich, creamy texture of milk. And it's a proven comfort beverage.

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Rice pudding -

A wonderfully simple but totally gratifying dessert made from short grain white rice mixed with milk and, frankly, not much else. A pinch of sugar, perhaps, and a bit of vanilla flavoring. Oh, and don't forget the ground cinnamon to top it all off.

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Bubble tea -

Bubble tea is a tea-based drink the recipes of which contain tea of some kind, milk and sugar flavors, and various toppings or "pearls," such as tapioca balls, or fruit jelly. A Taiwanese invention, the two most popular varieties are black pearl milk tea and green pearl milk tea.

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Milk braised Dijon chicken -

When meat is braised in milk, you don't taste the milk at all. Instead, it tenderizes the meat and turns into a deliciously creamy sauce. Add Dijon mustard and you'll have a showstopper of a dish.

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Fruit smoothie -

You don't have to use milk in a smoothie—yogurt works just as well. But if you have milk to use up, why not? Smoothies are packed with nutrients, protein, and vitamins, and that extra hit of calcium won't hurt at all.

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Banana cake -

Got some overripe bananas you need to shift? Grab the eggs, flour, butter, salt, and have three tablespoons of fresh milk at hand—all the ingredients you need to make a wonderfully gooey banana cake.

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Corn with milk -

Try boiling corn by adding a drop of milk to the water. It'll make the corn taste sweeter and more juicy.

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"Bolinhas" -

A variation of a beloved Portuguese recipe, this is a baked doughnut that requires a quarter cup of milk among other key ingredients to create the star filling: a layer of rich, smooth, sweet custard!

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Strawberry custard tart -

Speaking of custard, how about this for a seasonal surprise? Use only the freshest ruby red strawberries to create a dessert to die for. Full fat milk lends the custard mix extra weight, quite literally.

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Croque-monsieur -

This traditional French snack sees a baked ham and cheese toasted sandwich become a culinary masterpiece of minimalist preparation with the addition of a smooth, velvety béchamel sauce, made from a white roux (butter and flour) and milk.

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Chocolate pudding -

It's nice to indulge now and again, and who doesn't like chocolate? This deliciously decadent treat uses eggs (or cornstarch), cocoa powder, sugar, chocolate chips, and milk, with a dash of vanilla extract for good measure. Enjoy!

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Cheese sauce -

Mature English Cheddar and Italian Parmesan are two cheeses that when grated into a mix of plain flour, milk, butter, nutmeg, and cayenne and black pepper make superb sauces. If you're watching the calories, use semi-skimmed milk.

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Macaroni and cheese -

Taking the cheese sauce idea one step further, and especially if you still have milk to use up, cook up a sizzling fix of macaroni and cheese. Yummy!

See also: Myths, truths, and fun facts about milk

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