Whipped Cream

Nothing compares to the heavenly taste of a spoonful of light and airy homemade whipped cream. It tastes amazing with just about anything, from fresh fruits to steaming hot chocolate. Not to mention how easily it can be made and stored away.

This recipe calls for only three ingredients and there are many possible combinations of flavors

and tastes.

Unfortunately, this recipe does require quite a bit of time as well as patience in order to get the perfect stiffness and fluffiness. There are three levels of stiffness that your homemade cream can reach, it is important to watch out for the level that you want and make sure to stop beating when it reaches the third level, otherwise the cream will turn into butter and can not be converted back.The recipe I use for homemade whipping cream is a modified version of this one.

If you are worried about having too much left over whipped cream, worry no more because one of the best parts of homemade whipped cream is how easily it can be stored. Freezing left over whipped cream is perfect for last minute cravings and is much more convenient than store bought cans.

Before starting, it is important to ensure that you have the correct type of whipping cream. Any heavy whipping cream or whipping cream will work as long as it has over 34% milk fat. Standard pasteurized cream will whip at a faster pace. Half & half cream or table cream will NOT work because they do not have enough fat to be creamed.

As odd as it sounds, before even starting the first step is to put your bowl, beaters and cream in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. I generally prefer a few hours, as soon as I decide to make whipped cream, I put the bowl and beater in the fridge. The longer it is refrigerated, the better for the end result, because the colder the cream is during the whipping process, the more stable and longer the stiffness will last. Also starting off at a low speed will also help, as the cream won't warm up as fast.

When you are ready to start the whipping process, and after the bowl and beaters have been nicely cooled for at least 30 minutes, careful pour the cream into the bowl and beat slowly for one minute than slowly increase the speed. At first you will have large bubbles on the surface then you will see your beater leave behind trails in the bowl. This can happen quickly or take up to ten minutes, depending on many factors, such as the temperature of the room and the temperature of the cream in the bowl. DO NOT watch the clock but watch your cream to know when the cream is whipping.

When you are ready to start the whipping process, and after the bowl and beaters have been nicely cooled for at least 30 minutes, careful pour the cream into the bowl and beat slowly for one minute than slowly increase the speed. At first you will have large bubbles on the surface (as seen in the picture to the right).

Then you will see your beater leave behind trails in the bowl (as seen in the picture to the right). This can happen quickly or take up to ten minutes, depending on many factors, such as the temperature of the room and the temperature of the cream in the bowl. DO NOT watch the clock but watch your cream to know when the cream is whipping and know what stage your whipped cream is at.

This is the time to start adding in the sugar, this is known as the "soft stage" as the cream has soft peaks. Remember to use powdered sugar, as it will incorporate into the cream a lot easier and not leave behind any residue. There is an also the option of using icing sugar instead of powdered sugar, which is a combination of powdered sugar and cornstarch. The cornstarch in the icing sugar acts like a stabilizer for the cream and will help the whipped cream stay stiff in room temperature. It is not necessary to use icing sugar instead of just powdered sugar but can be used as an extra stabilizer. I honestly prefer to use icing sugar over powdered sugar but the choice is up to you. It is important to add the sugar in slowly and in small amounts, ensuring that it is dissolved into the cream as you mix at a low speed.

Keep beating at a constant low-medium speed, until the sugar is completely dissolved and the trails in the cream last longer than just a few moments. Again notice, this may take a few minutes or 10 minutes. Just be patient and watch the cream. At this point add in the flavor of your choice or just add the classic pure vanilla extract flavoring. Beat in the flavor, making sure the scrape down the sides to incorporate the flavor into all of the cream at a nice low-medium speed.

At this point, if you desire soft fluffy cream, STOP beating! This is known as the "medium peak stage" and this is the kind of whipped cream that is used for toppings of berries or in hot chocolate. Soft and fluffy, but won't hold its shape for long periods of time. If you desire thick, icing-like whipped cream, then continue to beat until the volume of the cream has almost doubled and the cream is clinging to the beaters. This is the "stiff peaks stage" and at this point, be very careful not to over beat! Stop as soon as you are satisfied with the consistency of the whipped cream otherwise disaster can arise.

And there you have it, perfectly soft and sweet homemade whipped cream. 100% more better than the canned fake stuff and can be served right away. I personally love to use this whipped cream with hot chocolate on a cold winter day. There are so many uses for whipped cream and I love how this simple recipe can be made in multiple different variations to get different tastes but still be the same basic whipped cream. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

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MATERIALS:

• 1 cup cold whipping cream OR heavy whipping cream

• 2 tablespoons powder sugar OR icing sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract OR any other flavorings

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place mixer bowl and whisk in freezer for at least 30 minutes to chill

2. Pour the cream, sugar and flavoring into the cold bowl and whisk on low-medium speed until you reach desired stiffness (read above for tricks and tips)

3. DO NOT over beat!

#Intermediate