Whipped Cream Recipe

Use this sure fire whipped cream recipe and say goodbye to the can forever. (Well, maybe you still want to have one of those on hand for fun with the kids.)

Canned Whipped Cream

Have you ever looked at the ingredients on a can of so-called whipped cream? Hard to find any cream there and do you really want all of that garbage in your body? Not to mention that the taste leaves much to be desired.

Here in France I can actually buy real sweetened whipped cream (special Isigny cream even) in a can. I bought a super sized model the other day because it will store at least a month in the refrigerator. Unfortunately the kids got a hold of it and let out all of the gas, so I ended up with an expensive can of cream that I had to throw out! So it's back to the mixer for me!

How to Make Whip Cream

Or is that whipped cream? Either way, the tips are the same!

• Use only heavy cream, called whipping cream by some. Wouldn't life be different if you could just take some skim milk and whip it into low calorie whipped cream? Don't bother trying. Half and half doesn't work either - it's only a fantasy.
• Chill everything: cream, bowl, and mixer whips (or just a plain old whisk, if you are looking for an arm workout).
• If it has separated after a stay in the refrigerator, you can rewhip your whipped cream recipe back into shape. I wouldn't keep whipped cream more than three days or so however.

The following recipe is for two cups of whipped cream. Adjust as needed.

• 1 cup heavy cream, well chilled
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (pressed through a sieve to remove clumps)
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Pour cream into a well chilled bowl (could be the bowl of your mixer). Stir in sugar and vanilla.

Using your mixer (I find a hand mixer works great) or a whisk (ouch, do you really want to do that to yourself?), start out on a slow speed so you don't end up sending cream flying around the kitchen. Gradually increase speed as the cream begins thickening.

It should take about 3 or 4 minutes for it to reach a stiff consistency. If it starts to look like it's clumping, STOP immediately, you are half way to butter!

Refrigerate until ready to use.

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon cocoa

Press the powdered sugar and cocoa together through a sieve and into the heavy cream. Otherwise, follow the same recipe as above.

Other Flavors

Coffee: For each cup of whipping cream, add 2 teaspoons instant coffee and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar.

Alcohol Flavors such as bourbon: For each cup of whipping cream, add 1 tablespoon liquor and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar.

By the way if you are just feeling too lazy even for whipping you can always just mix your heavy cream with chocolate to make what the French call ganache. This chocolate tart recipe that uses ganache is about the simplest desert you are likely to find.

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