What’s the perfect accompaniment to any dessert, from sticky toffee puddings to fresh fruit salads? Whipped cream, of course! And can you improve upon perfection? Well, when it comes to the Venus de Milo or a 147 break in snooker, the answer is probably no. But thankfully, regarding the indulgence of your sweet tooth, the answer is a resounding yes!
How, you ask? By using whipped cream with sour cream! It’s easy as that. Whipped cream provides light, airy peaks and a delicate sweetness to your dish, but sour cream brings out the big guns of tart and tang. Especially effective when dressing more sugary or buttery puddings, this is the showstopper that’ll catapult your dinner party from a night to remember to one that won’t ever be forgotten.
How to make sour cream whipped cream
First of all, you’d follow the same steps that you would to make standard whipped cream, which means placing the desired quantity of heavy cream (or, even better, whipping cream) in a glass or metal bowl after having chilled both in the fridge. Use a whisk (either the manual or electric variety – although be wary of using a high speed straight away if you favour the latter) to thicken the cream.
You’ll want to test the cream every minute or so to determine when it has begun forming “soft peaks”. You’ll spot these by lifting the whisk lightly out of the mixture and observing whether the cream holds its shape for a few seconds, before falling back in on itself. Once you’ve arrived at this stage, it’s time to fold in the sour cream. Add ¼ cup of sour cream for every 1 cup of heavy cream as a starting point – you can always add in more sour cream according to your personal preference.
Whip the two creams together to achieve consistency of flavour throughout – but don’t overdo it! If you whip your mixture too much, it will go past “soft peaks” and even “stiff peaks”, instead losing its shape altogether and becoming grainy. Instead, stop when the ingredients have been combined and “stiff peaks” have been achieved. And voila! Your whipped cream (with sour cream) is ready for topping.
NOTE: Whipping the cream manually is difficult if you are a beginner so beware. If want to speed up this process we would recommend buying some cream chargers and a dispenser. If you have problems with the whipping process see this guide.
Which foods should I serve sour cream whipped cream with?
As mentioned above, the slight suggestion of sourness in this topping complements particularly sweet desserts best, resulting in a delectable dessert that’s sure to have your dinner guests purring. Here are a few ideas of dishes with which you can serve it:
- Strawberries, raspberries or any other highly sweet fruit
- Sticky toffee pudding
- Chocolate brownies
- Buttery shortbread cookies
- Churros
Remember, if the dessert is served hot, it’s a good idea to let it cool slightly before adding the cream. Otherwise your beautiful soft peaks will be melted by the heat of the dish and you’ll end up with a delicious but disagreeably sludgy looking end product. Bon appétit!
