Creme Chantilly (american Whipped Cream)

Directions

Chill the cream.

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Place your bowl (I use Stainless for this) in the freezer along with the beaters, if using an electric mixer, or your whisk.

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The cold not only helps the cream obtain maximum volume, but retards the formation of butter if you whip it a little too long.

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In another bowl, combine ice and water to make a water bath (I only do this if I am going to stabilize the cream with gelatin)

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When bowl is sufficiently chilled, add cream to the bowl and begin whisking or beating.

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When it begins to thicken slightly, but is still not at the soft peak stage, start sprinkling the sugar over the surface to allow it to disolve before all the water is taken up by the fat.

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Whip until just beyond the soft peak phase.

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If you are stabilizing; now is the time to add your melted and cooled gelatin I use 3/4 of a tsp of gelatin melted in 1 TB of water per 8oz of cream.

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Place 1 TB water in a small heat safe ramekin, sprinkle with gelatin and allow the gelatin to bloom for about 5 minutes then set the ramekin in a small pot of simmering water JUST until the mixture becomes clear, any longer and the gelatin will break down and not be able to perform it's job.

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Cool to almost room temp before adding to your whipped cream.

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I always use a whisk when incorporating gelatin into whipped cream.

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You can also stabilize whipped cream (although gelatin works better) with 1 1/2 tsp Meringue powder per 8 oz of heavy cream. Just add it when you add the sugar. The albumen in from the egg whites dries the whipped cream out by absorbing the water

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