I have mentioned before that I might not be good at cooking, but whipped cream is one of my specialities.  Fresh, smooth and sweet, whipped cream is always present in my fridge, ready to liven up any starter, to disguise a humble fruit and convert it in a sumptuous dessert and even ready to be used to spice up my love encounters.

I am aware that any good quality whipped cream is a calorie bomb, and that is one of the reasons why it is so irresistible.  Somewhere in the back of my mind I know it should be in the list of banned products and mortal sins, just like some of my private sensual practices.  But, that is what makes them both –the cream and my sins- so delightful, when you know that something is forbidden, it becomes doubly enjoyable!

Like most sins related to sex and food the Crème à la Chantilly, a humble rich cream whipped and sugared, owes its origin to a French chef.  Historical accounts trace back the origins of the Crème a la Chantilly to August 1661, when Vatel proposed a new dessert for a reception in honour of the French king Louis XIV.  And this is how the sensual cream was born to be tasted by the king and his court during the interludes of Molière’s comedy.

Making whipped cream is extremely easy; it only requires good quality fresh cream and the patience of a good lover who slowly caresses until the other is ready to please you. With cream, like with women, you cannot start at full speed. You must start slowly, increasing the strength carefully, to avoid your cream becoming buttery or curdling.

The basic ingredients are:

50 ml fresh cream with at least 35% fat content. This is not the time to count calories. You will have plenty of time to burn them later in the most delicious ways.
35 g powdered sugar

You can whip your cream manually, but if you want to save energy for later, I advice you to use an electric whipper. Like one of the toys I keep in my night table, it is not as romantic, but just us effective! Whether you chose a manual or an electric whipper it is important that your utensils are cold.

Preparation:

One hour before you start preparation, place all your cream and whipping utensils in the fridge. Once cream and utensils are cold, take them out of the fridge and start whipping the cream. If you are alone use your electric whipper, but if your lover is there use a manual whipper and take advantage of the occasion to ask for his help. That is the perfect excuse to start taking some layers of clothes off! Once the cream starts to thicken, add the sugar. That’s it! Your Chantilly is ready. You can add a few drops of vanilla essence for flavour or if you are more daring try a few drops of your favourite liquor.

If you are in a hurry, you can always use one of those wonders of technology, a cream whipper with a N2O cartridge. It takes the magic away from preparing your cream, but it guarantees perfect results every time –again, like the toys in my night table!. After all, who wants to spend too much time and energy in the kitchen when you have more naughty plans in mind.

Once ready, you must serve it within 2 hours as it does not keep well.

Tips for a perfect whipped cream

• Always use cream with a high fat content. It is the fat that gives flavour, texture and thickens your cream.
• Always use previously cooled cream and utensils.
• Do not over whip. Once you have reached the desired texture, add the sugar and stop whipping.

• For starters you can mix it with an avocado puree for a light and refreshing avocado mousse.
• Add some chopped fresh herbs like spring onions, dill or chives and serve accompanying slices of smoked salmon.
• Mix it with fruit puree for a sweet mousse. Passion fruit and fruits of the forest are the most common fruits used.
• Just use it to accompany other desserts such as fruit salads, cakes and ice creams.
• Fill up some fruits with it. Perfume your cream with an orange liqueur like Grand Marnier and fill up some oranges with it.
• Perfume your cream with whiskey and honey. Serve in tall glasses alternating cream and fresh raspberries.
• Add 200 g melted chocolate to your cream and serve in tall glasses.
• Use it to fill up choux pastry. You can even create little animals and pornographic figures with your pastry if you are creative enough. Personally, that is too much for me and I prefer to apply it directly to my lover’s body and eat the pastry dipped in chocolate later, at the first interval.