When making your own whipped cream you should buy what is called whipping cream or else buy heavy cream. The high butter fat content of whipping cream (at least 30 percent) allows it to be whipped into twice its volume and it is what gives the end product that great taste and texture that we think of as whipped cream.
Whipped cream is often flavored, vanilla being the most common or popular form, which is called Chantilly Cream. In this recipe Chef Tom Bivins of the New England Culinary Institute uses an Elderberry Blossom Syrup that he makes himself. Any flavored syrup can be used, whether you purchase it or make your own.
Whipped cream is sold in cans but you should be aware that the end product is considered unstable, meaning that the cream will begin turning to liquid within a half hour. For this reason this type of whipped cream should not be used if you are going to have a dessert sitting around for a while.
For Elderberry Blossom syrup:
24 each elderberry flower blossoms (this should be 24 full sprays of blossom not 24 individual flowers)
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 vanilla bean
1. Take 24 elderberry blossoms and cut off the flowers from the stem. Bring water and sugar to a boil.
2. Add the elderberry blossoms, and the vanilla bean pods and seeds to the syrup; remove from heat. Steep overnight.
3. Strain through china cap and place in a clean glass jar or bottle — there should be no flowers or vanilla bean pod in the mixture; the vanilla bean seeds are OK. Refrigerate for several weeks or hot seal for longer term storage.
For Elderberry Blossom Cream:
1/4 cup Elderberry Blossom Syrup
2 cups cream
For Elderberry Blossom syrup
1. Whisk cream to soft peaks.
2. Whisk in the syrup and continue to whisk to medium stiff peaks.
Use the cream with berries, shortcakes, scones and other traditional tea items.
Also use the syrup with sparkling water or with sparkling wines such as prosecco or less expensive sparkling wines, or in other alcoholic cocktails of your own creation.
Recipe courtesy of Tom Bivins, executive chef of New England Culinary Institute, 2011.
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