Whipcream from Half & Half archived

Of course! If using the whole pint, add about a teaspoon of vanilla and a pinch of sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Taste as you go along to see if you want more sugar.

It is probably delicious.

I tried it didn't work !

Mark,
You might have to beat it before you add the vanilla and the sugar which you then fold in. I don't know if I am going to make whipped cream, I never mess with anything besides heavy cream.
Calli

THat was my thoughts !! But telling an 11 yo girl that is something differant !!!

I think you need heavy cream, not whipping cream....I may be wrong.

Aren't heavy cream and whipping cream the same thing? (though not the same as half and half)

yes - heavy cream and whipping cream are the same thing. According to an infomercial a few years back you can even make "whipped cream" from skim milk...

I only make whipped cream from heavy cream. I once mistakingly used half and half and it never whipped up. My guess is if you want to make it from half and half, you need to add some fillers, maybe gelatin or carrogeen? Although, I can't seem to find any recipes that say you can use H&H. Of course, there is always Cool Whip Non Dairy creamer. Yum!

You can whip skim milk it has to be very cold. But the problem with that is it doesn't keep its consistency like whipped cream does. Never tried whipping half and half but if skim milk whips up don't know why it wouldn't work for half and half.

Another hint is that the beaters and the bowl should be ice cold. I usually put my stuff in the fridge before I make the cream. I have heard that you can use half and half but I have never done it.

Yes my bad, I meant half and half not whipping cream. :bigsmile: oops!

There is an item called whipped cream stabilizer. Its sold at most grocery stores in the baking aisle. Try whipping the half and half without additives; once whipped, add sugar -- confectioner's is lighter and less grainy -- and then the stabilizer. Let us know if it works. Personally I always use heavy cream.

Add a pinch of cream of tartar but I'm still not sure it'll work reliably.

Heavy cream and whipping cream are slightly different. Heavy cream is 36% fat; whipping cream 32%.

robertlittle...I never heard of cream of tartar in whipped cream...meringue yes but cream no. Have you tried that yourself?
Curious,
bgs

I think it can only be done with an [immersion blender](http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=310323).

From Joy of Baking

Cream
Cream is the fat that rises to the top of whole milk. It has a smooth, satiny texture and is labeled according to its butterfat content (heavy to light). Creams are usually labeled "pasteurized" or "ultra-pasteurized". Ultra pasteurized creams have a longer shelf life than pasteurized creams, but taste is affected (some say it has a cooked flavor). For superior taste, although it can be hard to find, buy 'pasteurized' not 'ultra pasteurized' cream.

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. In the States it is sold in small jars and can be found in specialty food stores or else through mail order catalogs (The Baker's Catalogue 1-800-827-6836 or kingarthurflour.com).

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.

Crème fraîche can be found in specialty food stores and some grocery stores although it is quite expensive. To make your own, simply combine 1-cup (240 ml) heavy cream (preferably pasteurized, as ultra pasteurized will take much longer to thicken and will not taste as good) with 1-tablespoon buttermilk. Warm the cream to about 105 degrees F (40 degrees C). Remove from heat and add the buttermilk. Allow the mixture to stand in a warm place, loosely covered, until thickened but still pourable. This can take anywhere from 8 to 36 hours, but taste every 6 hours. The crème is ready when it is thick with a slightly nutty sour taste. Refrigerate. Will keep up to a week in the refrigerator.

Crème fraîche is used in both sweet and savory dishes. Makes a wonderful topping for fresh berries, cobblers and puddings.

From The Cook's Thesaurus

cream Varieties: Creams vary according to the amount of butterfat they have. Lightest of all is half & half, which is half milk, half cream and weighs in with a butterfat content between 10.5 - 18%. It can't be whipped, but it's nice with coffee, or on cereal. Light cream = coffee cream = table cream is richer at 18 - 30% fat, but it still can't be whipped. Light whipping cream = whipping cream (with a butterfat content of 30 - 36%) and heavy cream = heavy whipping cream (with at least 36% fat) are heavy enough to whip, and aren't as prone as lower-fat creams to curdling in sauces. The higher the butterfat content, the less beating is required to get whipped cream. Europeans go for even heavier creams, like double cream (with a butterfat content of 42%), extra-thick double cream, and clotted cream = Devonshire cream, which is often spread like butter over scones. Look for clotted cream in large supermarkets, but (perhaps luckily) the double creams are very hard to find. You can buy ultra-pasteurized versions of these creams, but they tend to have a burnt milk taste and don't whip as well. Substitutes: evaporated milk (This is lower in fat, and it's hard to whip. It also has a slight burnt milk taste.) OR yogurt (This tends to curdle in hot sauces or soups, but it works well in cold soups.)

I'm sure I've never tried cream of tartar in half-in-half because I don't keep the latter. (If you need H-n-H, mix milk and cream evenly--you'll eliminate an extra item in the refrigerator.) Also, for a whipped cream look, the higher fat the better. But I'm told that cream of tartar, an acid, will stabilize whipped cream as well as beaten eggs.

See the below.

http://forums.chef2chef.net/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=464343

mfpark, you're making me hungry. And angry, because it seems you can't get good cream in this country any more.

Here's what food scientist Harold McGee (no relation) has to say on cream of tartar and egg whites:

>Acid -- cream of tartar, lemon juice, or the juice of any fruit or vegetable - lowers the pH of the egg, and thereby lowers the mutually repelling negative charges on individual protein molecules. The lower this charge, the smaller the repulsion, and the less force required to overcome it; the protein molecules can then bond together more easily.

On the other hand:

>A single drop of yolk in the white of an egg can reduce the foam's maximum volume by as much as two thirds. . . Fats reduce the volume of albumen foams by getting in the way of coagulation. . . it appears that some of the yolk lipoproteins bind to these areas, thereby preempting some protein-protein bonds and so weakening the coagulted lattice.

As for whipped cream (and milk):

>The fact that cream can succeed where milk fails clearly has to do with the greater concentration of fat globules. For one thing, that concentraton has a noticeable effect on the viscosity of the liquid ... [the globules] apparently cluster together in the bubble walls, where surface forces rupture some of their memranes. The exposed spheres of soft fat then stick to each other and form a rigid but delicate network that the milk proteins alone cannot provide.

He goes on to tell that in homogenized milk, the protein actually works against the formation of the matrix. A merengue is a matrix of egg proteins; whipped cream of globules of milk fat.

This tells me that cream of tartar probably works *against* whipping cream, because it's action involves activating the proteins which, while all-important in a beaten egg white, are counterproductive in whipped cream.

Tom Reingold--Hungry AND Angry! Not a good combination. Better eat something, fast.