This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Yana wrote in with her mother Vera’s recipe for Ptichye Moloko; a classic and famous Russian desert. What I love about this recipe is the texture; a mousse-like creamy base and a thin velvety layer of coco loveliness.
Everyone in my family really enjoyed it.Β Ptichye Moloko is an adult jello,Β but you can also make a quick, kid friendly version, by using a flavored Jell-O instead of the chocolate (just make sure the jello is room temp before pouring it over the cream).
Thank you Yana and Vera for sharing this amazing family recipe with us.
Ingredients for the Ptichye Moloko cream base:
2 packets (14 grams)Β unflavored gelatin
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
16 oz tub of sour cream
16 oz tub of cool whip, refrigerated (not frozen)
Ingredients for the Ptichye Moloko Chocolate topping:
5 Tbsp Cocoa powder, unsweetened
5 Tbsp sugar
1 packet (7 grams)Β unflavored gelatin
5 Tbsp milk
1 cup cold water
How to make the cream base:
1. In a small sauce pan, combine 2 packets unflavored gelatin with 1 cup milk.Β Whisk together over medium heat. Continue whisking until it just begins to steam, remove from heat (DO NOT BOIL). Set aside to cool.
2. Spray an 11×13 glass baking dish with cooking spray (this prevents the jello from sticking to the dish).
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed whisk together 1 cup sugar, 16 oz tub of sour cream and a 16 oz tub of cool whip until well blended.
4. With the mixer on, slowly add the warm milk mixture.
5. Immediately pour into the prepared baking dish. Smooth the top as evenly as possible since the chocolate layer is thin.Β Cover and refrigerate to cool. Now start working on the chocolate topping.
How to make chocolate topping:
1. In a small sauce pan, combine 5 Tbsp coco powder, 5 Tbsp sugar, 1 packet unflavored gelatin. Next, whisk in 1 cup cold water and 5 Tbsp milk.
2. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil while mixing continuously. If you don’t continue whisking, the chocolate may lump and you have to start over (don’t walk away from the mix). The mix should be smooth and well blended.Β Set the chocolate mix aside and let it cool for 1 hour.
3. Slowly pour the chocolate portion onto the cream base. Chill in the fridge for at least 5 hours.
Ptichye Moloko Recipe (Bird's Milk)
Ingredients
Ingredients for the cream base:
- 2 packets, or 14 grams unflavored gelatin*
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 16 oz tub of sour cream
- 16 oz tub of cool whip, refrigerated (not frozen)
Ingredients for the Chocolate topping:
- 5 Tbsp Coco powder, unsweetened
- 5 Tbsp sugar
- 1 packet, 7 grams unflavored gelatin
- 5 Tbsp milk
- 1 cup cold water
Instructions
- In a small sauce pan, combine 2 packets unflavored gelatin with 1 cup milk.
- Whisk together over medium heat. Continue whisking until it just begins to steam, remove from heat (DO NOT BOIL).Set aside to cool.
- Spray an 11 x 13 glass baking dish with cooking spray (this prevents the jello from sticking to the dish).
- In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed whisk together 1 cup sugar, 16 oz tub of sour cream and a 16 oz tub of cool whip until well blended.
- With the mixer on, slowly add the warm milk mixture.
- Immediately pour into the prepared baking dish. Smooth the top as evenly as possible since the chocolate layer is thin. Cover and refrigerate to cool. Now start working on the chocolate topping.
How to make chocolate topping:
- In a small sauce pan, combine 5 Tbsp coco powder, 5 Tbsp sugar, 1 packet unflavored gelatin.
- Whisk in 1 cup cold water and 5 Tbsp milk.
- Place over medium heat and bring to a boil while mixing continuously. If you don't continue whisking, the chocolate may lump and you have to start over (don't walk away from the mix). The mix should be smooth and well blended.
- Set the chocolate mix aside and let it cool for 1 hour.
- Slowly pour the chocolate portion onto the cream base. Chill in the fridge for at least 5 hours.
Notes
Thank you so much for the recipe. I made this with my Russian man and he can’t believe how delicious this is. It was also a big hit at the thanksgiving party. Thank you!
Really cool blog! I’m a big fan of russian food – especially if it’s even prepared in the traditional way as my grandmother did π Very nice. Definitely going to follow and cook your recipes!
Greetings from Finland, btw!
hey natasha, this was the best version of this recipe i have ever tired, all the others ive tasted, the white part is sour, i dont think i will avoid this dish at events anylonger
I am so going to try this my husband likes this kind of cake. Thanks
I meant to say skim milk, not non-skim….
Natasha, What type of milk do you use? Whole milk? I’m curious if I used non-skim if that would make it difficult to whisk up…
I used 2% milk. Skim milk should work.
Omg, omg, omg – I totally forgot about this dessert. Putting it on my must-make list for sure!!
I love ptichye moloko!! Try uncooked condenced milk instead of sugar for the white part π
Condensed milk is one of my favorite ingredients to work with (or just to eat it straight out of the can!) Thanks for the tip
Another good recipe to use for cool whip, is a delicious cream called creme chantilly. It’s just sweetened cream. All you need is 12 oz. of heavy cream, 1.8 oz. of confectioner’s sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract. 1. Whip the heavy cream at medium speed until it forms soft peaks. 2. Add the sifted sugar and vanilla. Continue whipping until the cream forms stiff peaks but is still smooth.
So the recipe is easy and in my opinion, it taste better than cool whip. By the way, this cream also tastes really good in cream puffs.
Girls I tried this recipe for my biskvit cake and it was delishious and perfect consistency. Mixed 1 cup of sugar with 1 pck. cream cheese, than folded in 1 tub (16 oz) cool whip. To this I added 1 pck. gelatin which I disolved in 1/3 – 1/2 cup of warm lemon juice, I let it cool down to room temp before adding to the other stuff. You can sub the lemon for water, but I though it balanced out the swetness perfectly. Enjoy!
Dina thank you for sharing those tips. I think I will try that maybe for thanksgiving π
Dina-did you put the ptiche moloko layer on top of biskvit cake or between two layers of cake? I ordered cake called “ptiche moloko” before from baker and she and a chocolate layer too in there. Thanks.
That’s the way I usually make it with cream cheese instead of the sour cream and also you can add a little lemon juice and yellow food coloring then after set cut into small rectangles and dip each onto chocolate. It’s really yummy. My sis and I made this for a dinner party and everyone loved it because it taste like Russian ptichey moloko candy.
Oh and my mom makes the cake all the time. All you need to do is make one (about 6 egg) beskvit in a 9-10inch pan and cut it in half to get two thin layers of cake. For easy assembly make cake in a spring form. Put one layer of cake and then pore over the ptichey moloko (this will also help you get a nice thick layer of ptichey moloko) and then top it off with cake. Let everything set for a few hrs before taking out of the form. When set can frost with a sweetened whip cream if desired.
Alla – thank you! I can’t wait to try the cake version. I wonder if it would work to pour the chocolate over the top biskvit cake layer, let it cool and then frost the sides and make a pretty frosting border on the rim?… hmm… π
That sounds like a nice idea. You can also frost the sides with a white frosting and let the chocolate from the top drip down the sides. That would give it a very elegant and festive look.
Yes – that sounds even better!! Do you ever pour any kind of syrup on the cake layers with the ptichye moloko inside the cake or leave them as is?
I like to use sprite or just plain carbonated mineral water with some sugar or juice to moisten each layer. You can even mix the mineral water with your favorite preserve and use that, I do that quite often it just adds a little kick of flavor. Good luck.
Thank you Alla!
Thank you, Natasha i Charlie! I I found this recipe for cool whip on a norwegian site. Thought it could be useful for those who can’t find cool whip:
1 teaspoon gelatine, 4 teaspoons cold water, 2,5-3 dl double cream, 0,7-1 dl icing sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar. Dissolve gelatin in water over low heat. Stir until it thickens, about 3 minutes. Set aside and let to cool. Whisk together cream, vanilla and sugar while you pour gelatinwater slowly into the mixture. Whisk well on high speed. If the cream is not thick enough, you can melt 2 marshmellows and stir gently into the cream. π
I will have to try that. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Natasha and thanks for the recipe. I will surely make this cake! Can you tell me what cool whip is? I live in Norway and we don’t have such a thing. Do you know what it is called in Russian? How many grams of gelatin are there in one packet?
Hmmm… Good question! It’s also referred to as whipped topping. I haven’t tried with homemade whipped cream using heavy whipping cream but I think that would be my next option. It’s hard to really recommend it if I haven’t tried it though. Each packet of gelatine is 7 grams
Svetlana, ΠΠ·Π±ΠΈΡΡΠ΅ ΡΠ»ΠΈΠ²ΠΊΠΈ, ΡΠ°ΠΊ ΠΏΠΎΠΌΠΎΠ΅ΠΌΡ ΡΡΠΎ Π½Π°Π·ΡΠ²Π°Π»ΠΎΡΡ Π² ΡΡΠ°ΡΡΠ΅ Π΅ΡΠ΅ ΡΠΎΠ²Π΅ΡΡΠΊΠΈΠ΅ Π²ΡΠ΅ΠΌΠ΅Π½Π°, ΠΊΠΎΠ³Π΄Π° Ρ ΠΎΡ ΡΡΠ΄Π° ΡΠ΅Ρ Π°Π».
I used heavy whipping cream instead and it turned out perfect. I never like to use Cool Whip.
I prefer working with heavy whipping cream too. I will try that next time I make it. Thank you for letting me know. I was curious about that.
Thanks for posting this, I’ve tried it many times at church potlucks and always loved it! Can’t wait to make.
Made it today…So easy and quick, but absolutely delicious!!!!! Can’t wait to make it again for the upcoming holidays!! Thanks for the recipe π
Looks awesome.
i’m glad you’re back…
Wow, this sounds really yummy! Pinned.
can you put this layer in between biskvit cake?
I haven’t tried that but I’ve seen photos of it online in between thin layers of biskvit or on top of one layer of biskvit cake. Let me know how it turns out if you do give it a try.
My mom would make a biskvit (cutting ingredients I half so mousse would fit) and then make the mousse, adding pink food coloring.it was delicious!
You are sooooo cute. How about we make it a ‘mousse-like creamy base’ and not a ‘mouse-like creamy base’. I don’t think the mice would like this recipe at all. π
lol. Thanks Cathy π
Thanks for posting this! So excited to try it!