Whipped cream is cream that is whipped by a whisk or mixer until it is light and fluffy. Whipped cream is often sweetened and sometimes flavored with vanilla. Whipped cream is often sweetened and sometimes flavored with vanilla, and is often called Chantilly cream. Whipped cream has been around since the 16th century. It was included in recipes that date back to 1549 in Italy and 1604 in France. It was first called whipped cream in 1673 according to the Oxford English Dictionary. It used to be called "milk snow." in very old texts.
Until
the 19th century, recipes for whipped cream called for whipping the cream with
a willow or rush branch in place of the modern whisk. Cream only whips at temperatures less
than 50 degrees. Any warmer and it becomes butter. Imitations of
whipped cream are often sold under the name whipped topping.
Whipped
topping normally contains some mixture of partially hydrogenated oil,
sweeteners, water, stabilizers, and emulsifiers added to prevent syneresis, which
is similar to margarine instead of the butter fat in the cream used in
whipped cream. The world
record for the tallest dollop of whipped cream on a mug of hot chocolate is 7
1/4 inches. Melissa Arkin and Casey McLaughlin set
the record
in 2011. January 5th is National Whipped Cream Day.
Below
is a recipe for whipped cream from Food Network:
Chill a large
bowl (stainless steel or glass) and a whisk or mixer beaters for 30 minutes.
Combine 1 cup cold heavy cream and 1 to 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar in
the bowl; whisk or beat on medium speed until the cream just holds soft peaks.
(You will have about 2 cups.) Refrigerate leftover whipped cream and use within
24 hours. You can gently re-whip it, if necessary.You will want to use the higher the fat content. For better whipped cream use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream (they're at least 36 percent fat). Whipping or light whipping cream (30 to 36 percent fat) will make a less stable whipped cream, and light cream (18 to 30 percent fat) won't whip at all. Use confectioners' sugar as it has a bit of cornstarch in it. This helps stabilize whipped cream. Don't use granulated sugar as it doesn't dissolve and can deflate the foam.
To test for soft peaks, lift your whisk or beaters: The peak of cream should curl over slightly in the bowl. If you prefer a stiffer whipped cream, keep beating, but the longer you whip, the denser and grainier it will be. Did you go too far? Fold in a splash of heavy cream. If it deflates, you've over whipped and you'll have to start over with new cream.
To make whipped
cream look decorative, whip it to medium peaks, then pipe from a pastry bag
with an open star tip.
“I think a lot of people avoid making dessert because they think it
takes a lot of skill or time. Icebox desserts are, for the most part, very
simple. Anyone can layer slices of fruit with whipped cream or pudding to
create a beautiful parfait. Or they can make gelatin that's folded with
softened ice cream or whipped topping.” (Lauren Chattman) [i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“5 Things You Didn’t Know About Whipped
Cream” by Justine Sterling
·
“Just the Facts: Whipped Cream” by Food Network Magazine
No comments:
Post a Comment