"national whipped cream day" news and stories

Happy National Whipped Cream Day!

There's nothing quite like a sugary puff of freshly whipped cream -- yet when it comes to the billowy dollops of cloudy perfection, prepackaged varieties ever seem to fall short. Lucky for us, the homemade version can be whipped up in minutes: Simply beat a bowl of fresh heavy cream, adding in powdered sugar as soon as the cream begins to form soft peaks. (The ratio should be roughly one tablespoon sugar for every cup cream, although it is adjustable according to taste.)

If you really want to elevate your dessert, try adding a variety of additional seasonings to your whipped cream, from spirits (bourbon, Grand Marnier, etc.) to spices (vanilla bean, cinnamon, nutmeg, and the like), to a plethora of possible additions (mint, lemon zest, and more). You may find yourself favoring your whipped cream topping over the dessert itself.

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Happy National Whipped Cream Day!

In a more refined alternative to ice cream topping, whipped cream is predominantly used as a sweet, indulgent dollop atop desserts that may benefit from a little added moisture.

At its most basic form, the decadent topping consists of powdered sugar whipped with heavy cream until airy peaks form, but the confection can be further improved with a variety of flavorings, from the obvious vanilla to wilder concoctions that span the imagination -- one Slashfood writer even recommends turning the cream savory, and adding fresh garlic to it for a luscious soup topping.

For a collection of equally exciting whipped cream recipes, check out The Nibble's suggestions -- we're smitten with the idea of the Salty Caramel version!

I've had so much sugar and carbs the past two weeks that I think I'm turning into a giant dessert. I feel so blah and bloated. Even my teeth have this weird feel to them, as if they're screaming eat a bowl of soup, will ya?!

So I'm not going to participate in National Whipped Cream Day, but you can feel free to do so (unless you don't want to break that New Year's diet you're on - you're still on that, right?). Here's a quick recipe for whipped cream from AllRecipes, and these recipes have whipped cream on top of them: Cranberry Chocolate Cake with Rummy Whipped Cream, Pumpkin Cake with Whipped Cream and Pecan Praline, and Cherry Chocolate Shortcakes with Kirsch Whipped Cream. Of course, Cool Whip is always good in a pinch (I know, it's whipped "topping" not cream). By the way, whatever happened to chocolate flavored Cool Whip? I used to love that. I'd freeze it and make a dessert out of just that.

And for those of you who do "other" things with whipped cream, you should be ashamed of yourself.