Brielle's Avalon

For some reason one of my roommates bought too much whipped cream. He thought we were out when we still had an unopened pint in the fridge. Of course I had to pick up strawberries when I stopped on the way home for milk and juice. Desert tonight was strawberries on poundcake with a scoop of ice cream (salted caramel truffle!) with whipped cream on top. Many yums.

Why do we have cream around? Because if you use coffee creamer you can only use it in your coffee! If you have actual cream you can make other things, too! And when you put it in your coffee you know what’s going in your coffee (just cream and not a bunch of flavour chemicals and sugar). So. Cream in coffee, milk in tea (if you take your tea with milk) but that’s another discussion.

In a large bowl pour about 1/3 to 1/2 c heavy whipping cream. You can add a touch of vanilla or other flavour extract and even some sugar, but my Grandmother always said it doesn’t really need it. Sometimes, depending on what you’re using it for, it can be a nice touch. Maybe even a but of food colour for a kid’s special occasion or to brighten up a sick day.

When whipping don’t hold it in your lap, it’ll warm it up and slow the whipping. I’m holding it on the couch arm next to me in these picture.

Using a whisk, whip (gently at first) to avoid splashing. Don’t have a whisk!? OK, use the electric beaters, but you better get a whisk by next time. They’re not expensive. Use kind of a small, sweeping, circular movement with your wrist. Keep at it. Yes, you can use an electric mixer, but that spoils all the fun! And think of all the calories you’re burning before you eat desert!

When you get bored you can hold it upright and twirl it between your hands for a bit. Kind of like an electric mixer, but human power. It should be increasing volume now (getting bigger).

Go back to the wrist-whipping. Keep it up until it leaves tracks in the cream. Soft peaks are good. If you keep whipping it it is possible to make butter, but that’s much less likely when you do it by hand than when you use an electric mixer. When using people power you’ll be ready for it to be on the desert or beverage before you go too far, even if it’s only lightly whipped.

Use it to top hot chocolate, pie, ice cream Sundays, banana splits, strawberry desserts…