One of my favorite uses for crème fraîche is to make a simple whipped cream. It is tangier than regular old whipped cream, it holds together better and, oh yeah, it sounds awesome when you say you topped your pie with homemade, whipped crème fraîche. I’ve heard foodies gasp. Really. I got the idea from a Food52 genius whipped cream recipe from Nancy Silverton. The idea that adding something a little acidic to whipped cream would make it set better stuck with me until it dinged that a straight crème fraîche would be easy and the perfect tang for sweet pies.
So put on your ready-to-impress pants and get out your mixer.
This is one case where you need to keep a close eye on the stand mixer so you don’t overwhip. Then again, if you do overdo it, you can just make butter so really not that much of a catastrophe, is it?
I made my latest batch of whipped crème fraîche to top a pumpkin pie we brought to a friend’s amazing pumpkin carving party this past weekend. It was fun!
Note: If I know I’m whipping it, I stop my crème fraîche from getting completely set beforehand. Stopping to refrigerate at 8 or 10 hours rather than 12, when it’s thickened and fragrant but not at all solid, works for me. You can choose to use fully fermented crème fraîche, it just makes it a little more challenging to see the changes as it’s mixing.
Recipe:
1 recipe partially fermented crème fraîche, chilled
1 t vanilla extract (almond extract is also very tasty, but do half a teaspoon)
1-2 T sugar (optional)
- Put chilled crème fraîche in your stand mixer or in a bowl, if using a hand mixer
- Blend until foamy (30 seconds-1 minute with stand mixer, longer with hand mixer)
- Add vanilla and sugar (optional)
- Beat until thick and creamy (about 3 minutes in my stand mixer)
- Do not overbeat! This will quickly become a loose, cultured butter if you do.
- Use immediately or stick it in the fridge. It holds up great for at least a week.
[…] a little recipe card makes this festive and pretty. Check out my crème fraîche recipe here, the whipped crème fraîche recipe here and the article, which includes some great (unfermented) DIY ideas (linked above). Preserved […]