By Kelly Hodgson
Whipped cream made from scratch is divine. Use it on pies, hot chocolate, as a treat with fresh fruit…the possibilities are endless!
1. Place the metal mixer bowl (or whatever bowl you are going to use) in the freezer for 10 minutes. This step is really important if you are making whipped cream on a humid day.
2. Pour the cream in the bowl (it us best to leave the cream in the fridge right up until you're ready to whip it). Add the icing sugar and vanilla.
3. Slowly increase mixer speed to medium and begin whipping. DON'T MIX AT HIGH SPEED! For the first few minutes, the cream will be very frothy and bubbly.
4. Around 6 to 7 minutes, watch for soft peaks forming.
5. By 7 to 8 minutes, you should notice firm peaks and the cream will start to take on volume.This is the best time to stop whipping and serve the cream.
If you continue whipping, the cream will stiffen even more and may become grainy in texture. If you whip much more beyond this stage, you'll make butter!
6. Once you've reached your ideal stage of whipped cream, serve immediately or cover and store it in the fridge for a few hours.