Thursday, 18 September 2014

CREAM ...... for all occasions

There are a variety of tastes and textures on offer when selecting cream .

Single cream
Thickened cream
Double cream
Crème fraiche
Sour cream
Fromage blanc
Fromage  frais
Quark
Ricotta
Marscapone.

All of the above can be used in place of cream , and as promised here is a simple guideline to using them .

Double cream contains 40% butterfat , it can whipped and used with  sweet desserts and cakes or added to savoury dishes for extra body and a smooth velvety texture .
It does not curdle when boiled  ( except when added to an acid base , but that is common sense ) and combines beautifully with wine .

Thickened cream contains less fat than thickened cream but is less flavoursome . it can be whipped and will thicken without the assistance of sugar or egg whites.
Thickened cream doesn`t curdle when boiled , it is often used in place of milk giving an added richness .

Single cream will curdle when boiled and only thickens with the assistance of egg whites .

Sour cream is made with a bacterial culture that forms an acid which thickens and enriches the cream .
Sour cream can be used in savoury and sweet dishes.

Crème fraiche is related to sour cream but is much richer. it is a boutique style sour cream and more expensive.

Marscapone is used as an alternative to  crème fraiche , it has a beautiful smooth texture and lightness.

Fromage frais and quark are very fresh cheeses made with rennet , they both provide a gainy texture to dishes .

Ricotta is very popular with those watching their weight  ( some have more to look at than others !)
Ricottas vary in flavour from very sharp to mild and  can be used in both savoury and sweet dishes .

Yoghurt has the sharpest flavour . It will curdle when boiled , but when folded into equal quantity of whipped cream delivers a thicker ,creamier texture.

Having such a great range of dairy products that can be used in place of cream is amazing as in some recipes just using cream would`nt work ..
Take the time to check out the varieties on offer in the refrigerated section of your supermarket .


 

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