Whipped Cream

[bsan]

First off, I'm sorry for posting something like this again if you already have something like this.

Okay, now onto business. Dessert's on the table, and you want to put the finishing touches on your pie (or ice cream, take your pick). You reach out for the whipped cream. Do you take out the spoon out kind or the shake and press can kind?

And how would you go by eating it? I just eat it either in a cup or out of the original bowl. That's how much I love eating whipped cream.

[bloviatrix]

If I'm dressing a dessert, I use a pastry bag because it gives more control, plus I can play around with the tips.

If I'm eating it straight -- I tend to add some berries in a fresh bowl. I have been known to use my fingers on occasion.

[SethG]

I don't want to sound like one of those holier-than-thou do-it-yourselfers, but if you love whipped cream, you might try not reaching for either kind of pre-made stuff and whip it yourself. Get a small carton of heavy cream, pour it in a bowl and whip it for five or ten minutes with a whisk. It's that easy and it is far far superior to the bought stuff. Definitely worthy of eating straight, with a spoon or your fingers.

Edited December 9, 2003 by SethG (log)

[bergerka]

Ideally, I'm eating it off my beloved, using no utensils at all.

*double take*

I'm sorry, that's not what you meant, is it?

I like it whipped from cream bought at the store, preferably unsweetened or with just a touch of Grand Marnier, with berries or pie or on ice cream (banana split!) or atop my gingerbread latte, perhaps.

It also makes an excellent substitute for cream in my coffee.

If I'm gonna use the shake-n-spray kind, I'm gonna spray it directly into my mouth. Or maybe hold a contest to see who can hold the MOST Redi-whip in his or her mouth without cracking up and spraying it all over the opposition.

Yes, I am twelve years old.

K

[tryska]

definitely fresh whipped......the spray kind tastes greasy.

as for how i eat it....well it all depends on the situation. hell i've licked my fill off the beaters before.

[jo-mel]

I was whipping up some heavy cream to put on a pumpkin pie, for Thanksgiving -- a few years ago. A couple of nephews saw me and said: "Darn! Aunt Jo-Ann is making real whipped cream --- not using Reddi-Whip!!!

In a blind taste test, the real stuff must be the winner over the aerosol can or the frozen stuff. It has more body and you can tinker with the flavor. I like cinnamon sugar.

But there is nothing quite like a big squirt from the can -- directly in the mouth. My own four kids used to line up for a shot!!

[elyse]

I don't want to sound like one of those holier-than-thou do-it-yourselfers, but if you love whipped cream, you might try not reaching for either kind of pre-made stuff and whip it yourself. Get a small carton of heavy cream, pour it in a bowl and whip it for five or ten minutes with a whisk. It's that easy and it is far far superior to the bought stuff. Definitely worthy of eating straight, with a spoon or your fingers.

Who said anything about pre-made? You can add cream to your own aerosol can. Tastes just like Reddi-Wip.

[SethG]

Who said anything about pre-made? You can add cream to your own aerosol can. Tastes just like Reddi-Wip.

After rereading the original post, I do think bsan was referring to pre-made... but I'm not sure.

Whatever. I confess that there is something in the age-of-progress taste of Cool Whip that I crave now and then. And you can't get that by whipping your own.

[elyse]

I agree, actually, that it did sound like reddi-Wip. BUT I read fresh whipped cream in the bowl.

b.?

[KAPDADDY]

Cool Whip and Reddi-Whip are just as disgusting as margarine to me. If I'm gonna indulge, it's gotta be the real stuff or nothing at all.

The ultimate use for whipped cream? Strawberry Shortcake!

[project]

Cream, whipping cream, and whipped cream, are some of the best foods on the planet.

Whipping your own from the best whipping cream you can get, with some sugar and vanilla, is totally far over the top.

If you want the whipped cream to stay whipped, then try to get some especially high quality whipping cream which may have butterfat of about 40% instead of just 36%. In New York State, I get Donnybrook, from a dairy not far away. Cheap? No. Terrific? Definitely!

I whip by hand with a large stainless steel wire whip, in a stainless steel bowl with a quite rounded bottom, set in a bowl of ice water. Gee, if about to eat all those calories, then might as well work off a few whipping the cream!

In

• Rose Levy Beranbaum, The Cake Bible, ISBN 0-688-04402-6, William Morrow, New York, 1988.
  

is a way essentially to raise the butter fat content to make whipped cream more stable.

[budrichard]

I'm surprised that nobody mentioned 'Heavy Cream' versas 'Ultra pasturized'! We only use 'Heavy Cream' straight from the Kitchenaid mixer. -Dick

[GG Mora]

I was recently at a friend's house having coffee & we were just hanging out at her kitchen table yakking. At some point, her 3-yr old walked into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, took out a can of whipped cream, and walked over to the table, where she silently held the can out to her mother. Without stopping her conversation or even looking away, Mom gave the can a quick shake, popped the top, stuck the nozzle into the child's open waiting mouth, squirted in an appropriate dose, replaced the cap and handed the can back to the child, who promptly returned the can to the refrigerator and left the room. Five minutes later, the scene was repeated in exact detail with the 5-yr old.

That's how whipped cream should be eaten.

[Alex]

I'm surprised that nobody mentioned 'Heavy Cream' versas 'Ultra pasturized'! We only use 'Heavy Cream' straight from the Kitchenaid mixer. -Dick

Amen to that! We're fortunate to have a local commercial dairy that doesn't ultra-pasteurize. We also are part of a raw milk co-op. The skimmed cream usually winds up in our coffee or occasionally in a sauce, but needless to say it also makes killer whipped cream.

Redi-Whip just doesn't do it for me any more. I used to use an ISI for whipped cream but I found that using my KitchenAid or hand mixer was almost as easy, plus I much preferred the denser texture (and having first dibs on licking the bowl).

[therdogg]

Once I made hot chocolate for my then future SIL. It was topped with a huge mound of whipped cream, and she said it tasted great and wanted to know what kind it was. I told her that I made it. In utter disbelief, she said "You can MAKE whipped cream??! How do you do that?"

It took all my strength to remain composed and say in even tones: "well, you just whip some cream." (duh!)

[tammylc]

I had the best whipped cream of my life last night at a restaurant. It must have been at least 40% butterfat - I've never tasted anything creamier, but they brought out the carton and there was no butterfat percentage listed. I abandoned my brownie sundae and just ate the whipped cream plain with a spoon.

At home, I'll usually whip my own from heavy cream (not ultra-pasteurized, unless that's all I can get). But I'm not above grabbing a can of Reddi-Whip on occasion. Never any Cool Whip for me though - one must draw the line somewhere.

[jo-mel]

I was recently at a friend's house having coffee & we were just hanging out at her kitchen table yakking. At some point, her 3-yr old walked into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, took out a can of whipped cream, and walked over to the table, where she silently held the can out to her mother. Without stopping her conversation or even looking away, Mom gave the can a quick shake, popped the top, stuck the nozzle into the child's open waiting mouth, squirted in an appropriate dose, replaced the cap and handed the can back to the child, who promptly returned the can to the refrigerator and left the room. Five minutes later, the scene was repeated in exact detail with the 5-yr old.

That's how whipped cream should be eaten.

LOL!

Our cats all liked it, too!

[Peter B Wolf]

".......It must have been at least 40% butterfat .......but they brought out the carton and there was no butterfat percentage listed......."

This is exactly what irkes me the most. No exact labeling about the butterfat.

And no one is willing to tell me the difference in fat content of "Heavy Cream" and/or "Whipping Cream"

I have called different dairy plants and non is able/willing to devulge that Info.

Does anyone out there know? (maybe by 'naming' the Dairy?!)

[jsolomon]

With apologies to Schielke...

From the skulls of my defeated enemies.

This is exactly what irkes me the most. No exact labeling about the butterfat.

And no one is willing to tell me the difference in fat content of "Heavy Cream" and/or "Whipping Cream"

I have called different dairy plants and non is able/willing to devulge that Info.

Does anyone out there know? (maybe by 'naming' the Dairy?!)

According to the USDA here USDA Dairy guidelines, on page 11, it states that "Light Whipping Cream", which is the only mention of whipping cream, is between 30% and 36% butterfat. "Heavy Cream" is more than 36% butterfat.

So, the caveat is, if you're buying US produced/marketed/sold cream, this is what the guidelines are. Outside the US, individual kilometerage may vary.

Edit to place a curious comma and stolen gag.

Edited December 11, 2003 by jsolomon (log)

[Mottmott]

".......It must have been at least 40% butterfat .......but they brought out the carton and there was no butterfat percentage listed......."

This is exactly what irkes me the most. No exact labeling about the butterfat.

And no one is willing to tell me the difference in fat content of "Heavy Cream" and/or "Whipping Cream"

I have called different dairy plants and non is able/willing to devulge that Info.

Does anyone out there know? (maybe by 'naming' the Dairy?!)

You may have better luck with some of the smaller dairies. I've gotten information from Merrymead.

[herbacidal]

First off, I'm sorry for posting something like this again if you already have something like this.

Okay, now onto business. Dessert's on the table, and you want to put the finishing touches on your pie (or ice cream, take your pick). You reach out for the whipped cream. Do you take out the spoon out kind or the shake and press can kind?

And how would you go by eating it? I just eat it either in a cup or out of the original bowl. That's how much I love eating whipped cream.

personally, i think whipped cream is a waste.

waste of space in stomach, waste of energy to put in mouth, waste of visual space on a plate, etc.

that being said, if i was going to use it, why buy store bought.

just as easy to whip heavy cream yourself, and it probably tastes better.

[fifi]

The cream thing drives me nuts. All I can find is the ultrapasteurized stuff and it has carageenan on top of that. I could probably find the real stuff at Central Market or Whole Foods but that is a 40 mile drive so it ain't happenin' very often. And I really, really want to know how much butterfat. (Needless to say, the more the better.)

[KAPDADDY]

From Joy of Baking.com:

"Heavy cream or heavy "whipping" cream, has 36 - 40% butterfat and when whipped it holds its form and doubles in volume. Heavy cream is used for filling and decorating pastries.

Whipping cream has a butterfat content of 30%. It whips but not as well as heavy cream, and will not hold its form long. Good for fillings but does not hold up well for piping.

Light or Coffee cream has 18-30% butterfat.

Half and Half cream is a mixture of cream and whole milk and contains 10 ½ - 12% butterfat. Mainly used in beverages and does not whip.

Single cream has a 20% butterfat content and is used in both sweet and savory cooking.

Double (rich) cream has a 48% butterfat content and can be whipped and is also used in pies and sauces.

Clotted cream (Devonshire or Devon Cream) is a thick, rich, yellowish cream with a scalded or cooked flavor that is made by heating unpasteurized milk until a thick layer of cream sits on top. The milk is cooled and the layer of cream is skimmed off. Clotted cream has 55-60 percent fat content and is so thick it does not need whipping. Traditionally served with scones and fruit. Clotted cream is produced commercially in Devon, Cornwall, and Somerset England.

Crème fraîche is pronounced 'krem fresh'. It is a thick and smooth heavy cream with a wonderfully rich and velvety texture. This matured cream has a nutty, slightly sour taste produced by culturing pasteurized cream with a special bacteria. In France, where it originated, the cream is unpasteurized so it naturally contains the bacteria necessary to make crème fraîche. The butterfat content varies (usually 30%), as there is no set standard so you will find every brand tastes a little differently."

[Jaymes]

This time of year, I particularly like it whipped with maple sugar and vanilla. It's perfect to top the kinds of pies that are popular now -- pumpkin, pecan, etc., as well as things like banana nut breads, cranberry breads, and that kind of thing.

And it ain't bad eatin' either.

I also like the Mexican cream, called "crema," that you can buy in small bottles in the dairy case.

[bloviatrix]

After reading this thread, I must wonder have any of you ever seen the Far Side cartoon with the title - "How Whipped Cream is Really Made?"

The cartoon shows a dungeon where a cow in chains is being whipped.

It's actually pretty funny.