How to Whip Cream

[Photographs: Kumiko Mitarai]

If you've made whipped cream yourself, you've likely been the proud recipient of incredulous admiration: "You make your own whipped cream?!" Maybe you've secretly smiled at yourself and thought, "If only they knew how super-easy it is..." Even if you haven't made it yourself, you probably know how good homemade whipped cream tastes. Entirely different than the canned stuff, it tastes better, looks prettier, has no additives, and you don't end up with another can to throw in the garbage.

With this slideshow you can garner even more compliments, along the lines of, "How did you get your whipped cream so light and smooth?"

The key is in not over-whipping it, which can happen pretty easily, especially with a stand mixer. Over-whipped cream is grainy and tastes heavy. Really over-whipped cream starts to separate and form butter. But cream that has been whipped just to soft peaks is soft, light, and billowy. Not at all like that canned confetti they try to pass off as whipped cream.

Take a look at this slideshow to see how simple it is to whip cream »

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