Magpie by Holly Ricciardi

Author:Holly Ricciardi [Ricciardi, Holly; Harris, Miriam]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780762458059
Publisher: Running Press

Whipping Cream

Use true heavy cream, which has 36% to 40% milkfat and makes lush, dense, resilient whipped cream. Skip the cartons labeled “whipping cream,” which has a lower milkfat content (about 30%).

You can whip by hand (with a large whisk) or with a handheld mixer (either regular beaters or a whisk attachment will work). A stand mixer works well only if you use a whisk attachment and put enough cream in the bowl to make plenty of contact with the whisk.

Keep the cream as cold as possible—that means leave it in the fridge until the very moment you’re ready to whip it, and if it’s a hot day, be sure to work quickly (you can even freeze your bowl and whisk).

If you’re using an electric mixer, keep the speed at medium to medium-high rather than cranking it all the way up. High speed makes it too easy to go too far too fast; before you know it you’ve blown right through all the peak stages and you’ve got a grainy blob. (This you can salvage by adding a few tablespoons more cream and gradually re-whipping on low speed or by hand with a whisk. But if you can see bits of butterfat, it means you’ve broken the fat apart and you cannot restore it to creaminess. Your only recourse here would be to beat it a bit more, salt lightly, and use it as butter.)

It only takes a few minutes to whip cream to perfect peaks, but it does keep well for several hours if covered tightly and refrigerated, so you can prep it in advance if need be—just re-whip lightly with a whisk before dolloping onto your pie.

Whipping liquid cream causes its volume to double, so a wee half-pint (4-ounce) carton will give you 2 cups of whipped cream, a pint will become 4 cups, and so on.

Begin whipping and look for the “soft plop”: After being whipped for a few minutes, the cream will become a bubbly froth, then “trails” will begin to form after the whisk that don’t immediately disappear (fig. 1). That’s what’s known as the soft plop stage. (Appetizing, I know.) The cream will be just beginning to cling to your whisk or beater if you lift it out of the cream at this stage.

Continue whipping and you get “soft peaks”: Lift your whisk out of the bowl and cream will cling to it and form peaks, but these will soften quickly (fig. 2). Keep a very close eye on the cream from this point onward.

Next come “medium-soft peaks”: Volume builds, the trails become more distinct, and if you lift up your whisk over the bowl, a peak of cream will form on the end, but the point at the tip will be soft enough to curl adorably to the side (fig. 3). This is the perfect consistency for whipped cream to top a pie.

Keep on whipping and, sooner than you think, you’ll have “medium peaks”: Do the same test and the peak on the end of the whisk holds its shape.

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