Mock Devonshire Cream

[CanadianBakin']

A caterer that I bake for has been selling my mini scones for events where they are passed around on trays in large paper liners with a dollop of mock devonshire cream and a couple fresh berries. They look very pretty and get a great response but I'm having a hard time finding a recipe that will hold up overnight without turning at least somewhat liquid.

The first recipe I used was 1 part cream cheese beaten with 4 parts heavy cream, lightly sweetened with white sugar and vanilla bean paste. I stored some of it in a tall 4 quart container and the rest in a shorter 2 quart container. The cream in the 2 quart was fine but there was some liquid in the 4 quart.

Second attempt, I used 1 part cream cheese to 8 parts heavy cream thinking that the cream cheese was the problem. I also sweetened with icing sugar thinking the extra starch in it would help and again used vanilla bean paste. I stored it all in a shallow container this time and it was even more liquid than the first batch.

This caterer is a fantastic chef but not a baker, so I need to have everything prepared for her. I'm not able to get there in time to have it prepared first thing in the morning so I have to do it the night before.

Any ideas? Should I just stick with sweetened whipped cream?

[pastrymama]

I have used mascarpone cheese without any sweetener and people did not know the difference from real Devonshire cream.

[lapin d'or]

I agree with pastrymama, mascarpone cheese is very very close to clotted cream/devonshire cream.

I live in Devon and have never had the cream served sweetened or with vanilla added when served as part of a traditional cream tea with scones.

Lapin

[greenbean]

You can even make your own mascarpone, which is much cheaper and very easy. By reducing heavy cream, you take out alot of the liquid, so there isn't any weeping. Once it's done you can decide whether or not you want to add cream cheese.

[Scout_21]

If you can find some pasteurized cream (Not ultra-pasteurized) you can let is slowly filter through a fine coffee filter overnight in the fridge and you'll end up with something resembling clotted cream after some of the liquid has filtered through. I think I picked it up from an Alton Brown episode on strawberries.

I've had luck finding pasteurized cream at my local "Fresh and Easy" and at Whole Foods. The brands I've used are Straus Family Creamery Cream, 360 Organic cream, and the house brand at Fresh and Easy.

Oh, and I also cover the top of the container I am using so that the cream won't pick up off flavors from the fridge.