Friday, June 3, 2011

what is cream, single cream and double cream...

Cream is yellowish fatty component on milk 
that tends to accumulate at the surface.
Cream is a dairy product that is composed of the
higher butterfat layer skimmed
from the top of milk before homogenization. 
Butter is made by churning cream to separate the
butterfat and buttermilk. This can be done by hand 
or by machine.
Double cream is the name in Britain for a very rich
cream that contains 48% butterfat.
Whipping cream in this country, by contrast, contains
between 30% and 40% butterfat.
Single cream in Britain is comparable to American 
half and half and may also be called pouring cream, 
with between 10% and 12% fat.
Double cream is so rich  is easy to over whip it and
get it too thick.
Single cream is American light cream, about 15% 
butterfat;  while the double cream is whipping cream,
about 30%.  Regular whole milk is about 5% butterfat.
Some cooks add a tablespoon or so of milk to the double 
cream before whipping it .
Whipped cream is made by whisking or mixing air
into cream with more than 30% fat, to turn the liquid 
cream into a soft solid.
 Cream is used as an ingredient in many foods, including
ice cream, many sauces, soups, stews, puddings, and some custard bases, and is also used for cakes.
Irish cream is an  alcoholic liqueur which blends cream
with whiskey, and often honey, wine, or coffee.
Cream is also used in curries such as masala dishes.
For cooking purposes, both single and double cream
can be used in cooking, although the former can 
separate when heated.
TIP :
Higher fat creams tend to taste better, have a richer
texture, and don't curdle as easily when used in cooking.
Artificial cream is usually made from vegetable oil,
not butterfat, and the artificial cream often contains 
sugar to sweeten it.
Sweetened condensed milk, is cow's milk from which
water has been removed and to which sugar has been 
added, yielding a very thick, sweet product which 
when canned can last for years without refrigeration
if unopened.
Buttercream also known as butter cream, butter icing
or mock cream  is a type of icing or filling, used inside
cakes, as a coating, and as decoration.
In the United States, half and half is a mix of 1/2 whole
milk and ½ cream, typically used as a cream in coffee. Half-and-half does not whip.
Single cream having 20 % of butter fat, is also  with a 
low fat content, which does not thicken when beaten.
Used in both sweet and savory dishes. Also know as 
light cream. Light cream pretty much the same as 
half and half. Also know as coffee cream or table cream
will whip if it contains 30% butterfat but will not be 
very stable.
Whipping cream is  one  with enough butterfat in it to
allow it to thicken when whipped.
Does not whip as well as heavy cream but works 
well for toppings and fillings.
Heavy cream is that whips denser than whipping cream.
Whips up well and holds its
shape.  Doubles in volume when whipped.
Double cream is the British term for heavy or
whipping cream in the United States, but it is a little
thicker than our whipping cream. It contains about
48% butterfat.
Double cream is so rich, in fact, that it is easy to over
whip it and get it too thick .
Which cream to buy..  there are two types of cream ,
the  fresh cream and long life cream.  
Fresh cream is rich, smooth and velvety.
Fresh cream has uses in many different dishes,
including as a source of thickening soups, making 
sauces taste richer and garnishing desserts.
When purchasing fresh cream, purchase only the
amount needed as cream tends to spoil.
Store well covered by a lid in the fridge section.
Buy the double cream, when need to use as a 
pouring cream and goes well with fruit and 
chocolate puddings.
Buy the single cream when need as a pouring 
cream that goes well with fruit salad and as a
coffee milk substitute for those who like a richer
taste in their coffee.
Single cream is also the best cream for adding
to sauces, soups, stocks, and in casserole dishes.

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