Whipped cream brings richness and visual appeal to many desserts.
There are a variety of whipped toppings available to consumers, which need only to be spooned or sprayed onto desserts. Although these are perfectly valid products in their own right, none offer quite the flavor and richness of real whipped cream. With only a small amount of sugar and vanilla, whipped cream makes a topping that complements almost any conceivable dessert, and many hot beverages as well. Cream is easily whipped by hand, with a minimum of equipment. For novices, the most important point is simply knowing when to stop.
Instructions
1. Select a bowl with a rounded bottom and straight sides to minimize splashing as the cream is whipped. Pour the heavy cream into the bowl. Begin whisking at moderate speed. Large bubbles will form on the surface of the cream in this stage.
2. Continue whisking the cream, watching the texture of the bubbles. They will continue to grow smaller as you whisk, beginning at the diameter of a dime and shrinking eventually to fine foam.
3. Change your grip on the whisk periodically, to minimize fatigue and the risk of repetitive stress injury. Alternate whisking from your fingers, your wrist and your elbow. Change directions, or switch between a circular motion and a figure-eight.
4. Lift the whisk periodically from the cream. When the foam has thickened enough that the whisk starts to leave tracks, add the sugar and vanilla. Whisk until the cream forms a soft, shapeless peak when the whisk is lifted out. At the soft-peak stage, cream may be spooned onto desserts or incorporated into other recipes.
5. Continue whisking for another few seconds to arrive at the stiff-peak stage. At this point, there will be a clearly defined edge left in the cream when the whisk passes through it, and when the whisk is lifted out of the cream the peak will have clear edges as well. Use stiffly whisked cream for piping decorations, or between cake layers.
6. If the cream looks very stiff but does not form a clean edge behind the whisk, it has been whipped too much. To salvage cream at this stage, add a little bit of fresh heavy cream, and fold it in gently with a spatula. If the cream looks and feels grainy, it has begun to change into butter. At this point it is no longer suitable for decoration, but can be used in baked goods.
Tags: when whisk, Continue whisking, cream looks, cream this, cream this stage, heavy cream, onto desserts
