While it’s called heavy cream in many countries, down under we call it thickened cream, and it has a wide variety of culinary uses. You can use it to make your own butter and whipped cream, or add creaminess to your cup of coffee or to hearty soups, and much, much more! It contains a lot of healthy nutrients but it is also very high in calories.
So, what exactly is thickened cream? It is the high-fat portion of dairy milk. Fresh milk separates naturally into both cream and milk, with the cream rising to the top due to its high-fat content- fat floats! The cream is then skimmed off before it undergoes further processing.
To make thickened cream, the cream is first pasteurized, then homogenized, processes that involve heating and applying high levels of pressure that can eradicate any pathogens, lengthen the cream’s shelf life, and improve its stability so it doesn’t curdle easily, meaning the fat doesn’t separate.
Thickened cream can be used in many different ways in both home cooking and food manufacturing. When you whip or churn the cream it makes its fat molecules begin to clump together and thicken. After a few minutes of this whipping, which is best done with an electronic mixer, this unique physical property causes the liquid cream to slowly transform into whipped cream. After several more minutes of steady churning and mixing, the whipped cream will eventually turn into butter, so don’t overdo it if you plan on drinking it or need whipped cream for your recipe!
Another popular dairy product called buttermilk is the fluid that remains after the thickened whipping cream has been churned into butter. It has a unique sour taste that lends itself well to recipes like fried chicken, pancakes, and sauces. It tastes a bit like sour cream and most people find it unpleasant to drink, but it has its fans who swear by it, and guzzle it down like they would regular milk!
Thickened whipping cream is also popular for adding creaminess to coffee, tea, soups, baked goods, and a number of other recipes. People who are following a high fat diet like the ketogenic diet employ thickened cream as a way to add extra fat to their meals. Because it is mostly fat, thickened cream is high in calories, but also rich in choline, fat-soluble vitamins, and certain minerals so eating it in moderation can be good for you!
Whether you call it heavy or thickened, the one thing everyone can agree on is that this cream is delicious!