Types of Cream

 Have you ever looked at a recipe that called for cream and wondered which type you should buy when you got to the store? I see several different types and have no idea how they differ so I thought I'd take a look.

First off, cream is the fat found in milk after it comes from the cow.  Often times, it is separated from the milk so one has a lower level fat content in the milk and the cream can be made into butter or sold separately.

My grandmother told me they delivered milk to the houses that separated so cream floated on top.  They would try to get up early enough to get the milk in so they could enjoy the cream before anyone else got up.  Now they just blend it all in so the cream has been homogenized into the milk itself.

It is also one of those ingredients found in ice cream, on top of pies and hot chocolate, or added to tea to get such a smooth taste.  Sometimes it's poured on hot desserts such as Molten Chocolate Cakes ( I did that the other night) or as an ingredient in soup but they don't all use the same type of cream.  If you look at the fat listed on products, you might see the term butterfat used instead.  Both butterfat and milk fat are the same thing but Americans are more familiar with butterfat.

First is clotted cream which is used more by the British.  It is extremely rich with at least 55% milk fat but it is made by heating the cream in a very shallow pan for hours so the richest part of the cream rises to the top and clots.

Second is heavy cream with a milk fat content of at least 35% and is commonly labeled "heavy whipping cream".  It's what is recommended when you want to whip your own cream for pies or other goodies.  You have to be careful with this because if you whip it too much it turns into butter.

Third is whipping cream with a milk fat content ranging from 30 to 36%. This cream is used in those bottles of spray cream you use to top off pie at family gathering or top waffles at the local motel who offers a free breakfast.  This type of cream produces soft, flowy peaks while the heavy whipping cream produces the stiff, pointy peaks.

Next is a light cream or table cream,  containing between 18 and 30% milk fat.  It is labeled "Table Cream" and is used more in cooking.  You'll see it more in cream soups, sauces, and other dishes.  If it has a higher level milk fat content of around 30%, it will whip but only produce extremely soft peaks.  Light cream usually has around 20%.

Then there  is sour cream which contains at least 18% milk fat and has been fermented to make it thick and visors.  This is used on so many things from burritos to cheesecake.

Next to last, is half and half with between 10.5 and 18% milk fat and is a 50/50 mixture of whole milk and cream.  It cannot be whipped due to it's low milk fat content but it is used in drinks like coffee and tea.  It can also be substituted in cooking to reduce calories in dishes that require heavy or whipping cream as an ingredient.

Finally is ice cream which has more than 10% cream in it to give that smooth flavorful treat.  The United States requires anything labeled as ice cream to have 10% milk fat and less than 1.4% egg yolks.

I hope this has helped you learn more about cream.  Friday, we'll look at the different types of frozen desserts you see everyday.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.