Cream fat and whipping
Cream whips when fat globules link up around air bubbles, which takes at least 30 percent fat. Heavy cream (36 percent or more) and whipping cream (30 to 35 percent) work. Half-and-half, at about 12 percent, and milk can't hold the air.
Cold cream whips best
Chill the bowl, whisk and cream first. Cold fat globules stay firm and link up around the air bubbles. Stop at soft or stiff peaks, usually 2 to 4 minutes with a mixer, because whipping further clumps the fat into butter and leaves buttermilk.
Test yourself
Questions from the interactive lesson, with the answer and the why.
A recipe says to whip cream to stiff peaks. Which carton from your fridge works?
Heavy cream with about 36 percent fat. It has enough fat to hold the air.
True or false: Chilling half-and-half first lets it whip into stiff peaks.
False. Chilling helps cream whip but can't add the fat that half-and-half lacks.
What went wrong? You whip cream for ten minutes. You end up with yellow clumps and watery liquid in the bowl.
The cream was overwhipped until it started to turn into butter. Stop as soon as the peaks hold their shape.
Fill the blank: Cream needs at least about ___ percent fat to whip into stable peaks.
Cream needs at least about 30 percent fat to whip into stable peaks. At 30 percent or more, the fat globules trap enough air to hold peaks.
You whipped cream a little too far and it looks grainy. What do you do?
Stir in a splash of cold liquid cream by hand. The extra cream loosens the texture back to smooth.