A Pint of Cream

As I look back on my 2013 year of baking one thing comes to mind as my favorite ingredient: 

A Pint of Cream.  

So, Here's to you pint of cream and all the wonderful things I made with you.  

Whipped Cream

• 1 pint of Heavy Whipping Cream (16 oz or 2 cups)
• 2 Tbs Powdered Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• Then do like the Devo and Whip it, Whip it good.  Now you have Whipped Cream, possibly the easiest thing to make.

Butter

• 1 pint of Heavy Whipping Cream (16 oz or 2 cups)

For making butter do not add anything, just whip it past the whipped cream point about 10 minutes or so until it looks more grainy and separates into butter and buttermilk.

Strain out the butter chunks.

This is buttermilk.  Keep it for pancakes.

Take the solid butter and put it in cold water.  Not ice water, because the ice chunks get incorporated into the butter.  Mash it up a bit into small chunks.

Strain the butter again to get all the cold water out.

You do not need to save the butter water, you can throw that out.  Roll the solid butter chunks onto wax paper, plastic wrap, or aluminum foil.

Store it in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks or in the freezer for a few months.

Fresh home-made butter.

Chocolate Ganache

• 1 pint of Heavy Whipping Cream (16 oz or 2 cups)
• 8 oz (1 cup) chopped semi-sweet chocolate or 1:2 ratio which I use for chocolate ganache fillings in cakes and cupcakes.  You need to whip this one like whipped cream after it has cooled.
• 16 oz (2 cups) chopped semi-sweet chocolate or 1:1 ratio which I use for dipping or pouring chocolate on things.  It hardens faster so it is excellent for dipping, not whipping.

Heat heavy whipping cream until it just barely comes to a boil, then pour over chocolate chunks.

 Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth and refrigerate until cool.

Whip the 1:2 ratio for filling.

Just let the 1:1 ratio set in the refrigerator and it is ready to go for dipping.

and covering things.

All good things should end with chocolate.

Enjoy, 

K.