Fresh whipped cream

Quick Look_______________


There's nothing quite as sweet as good Christian fellowship, like at Gracepoint Berkeley, but fresh whipped cream is still pretty nice :) . If the only thing you ever had was the aerosol can type or Cool Whip, then you haven't experienced true whipped cream. I like to serve it with fresh strawberries, on top of pies, and cakes/shortcakes. It's a fun dessert to serve at small group or home group. [DISCLAIMER: this is not necessarily healthy! Make at your own discretion!]

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 0 minutes
  • Difficulty: Intermediate/Easy - Don't overbeat it or underbeat it.
  • Labor Intensity: Could do by yourself
  • 30 servings, adjust by 1.5x if your group tends to eat multiple servings.

Ingredients_______________

  • 1 quart heavy whipping cream (about $4 at safeway or $5 for 1/2 gallon at costco)
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar (you can use normal white sugar if that's all you have)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
  • Total: about $4.00

Directions_______________

  • Chill cream in fridge
  • Freeze a metal bowl (if you have one) and mixer beaters in freezer for 15 minutes
  • Pour cream to cold bowl and add sugar
  • Beat on high speed until it forms stiff peaks. (more info below)
  • Add more sugar if desired and mix into cream.
  • Chill in fridge or briefly in freezer before serving

Tom's Tips and Tricks_______________

You can use a cheap hand mixer or a large stand mixer. They will both work for this. If using a hand mixer, move up and down, side to side. Try to use a bowl that will submerge the beaters. A tall, narrow container like tupperware may work well.

Stiff peaks is a term that's used to describe what the cream looks like. Beat it for a while and when you stop it should hold it's form. If the cream settles back into a bubbly liquid, it's not ready. If it holds it's form (ridges and little peaks) and slowly starts collapsing to even out, it's called soft peaks. When it holds it's form after you stop and retains it's shape, it's called stiff peaks and it's ready.

When you overbeat it, it will break emulsion and the fat and water will separate. The fat will make hard clumps and you get butter! If you see hard clumps, you overbeat it. The sugar actually protects the cream by interfering with the whipping process. It slows everything down so you have to beat it for a very long time to overbeat. It also means it will take longer to get to stiff peaks.

Here's a video on you tube that explains the process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGprjY12_Sg

[Alternate variation] You can add a 1/2 tsp of almond extract. I like to even substitute the sugar with a little cherry syrup found in a jar of Maraschino cherries. 1 tsp of sugar is 4 grams, just figure out how much sugar is in the syrup and do the conversion.

[Possible side dish] Serve with fresh strawberries or on any fruit plate. You can also serve with pancakes.

Comments

Anonymous said…
if you don't own the luxury of a hand mixer or you just want to get a work out and make your small group students work, use just a plain ol whisk and go at it. you'll realize just how weak your arms are.. both of them!

another way to test for stiff peaks is to flip the bowl upside down when you think you're done. it shouldn't fall out and make a mess :)
tomkim said…
I agree, it's so much easier if you have the tools, but you can use a plain whisk. Just be careful you don't spill when you flip it over. Thanks for the comment!
Anonymous said…
We had strawberries and whipped cream after Bible study one time at a2fgold. It was really good. Now I can make this at home!

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