With Shavuos coming, it’s super
exciting to trot out some fun dairy recipes. Speaking of dairy recipes, chances
are you will be using heavy/whipping cream (they’re the same thing). I always buy
the biggest container possible. First, I make the cheesecake with the cream,
but this article is focused on other recipes that call for heavy cream so that
you can use up any extra you might have.
I called Market
Maven to find out if they would put their heavy cream on sale for Shavuos –
and they said they would! So, not only can you make some delicious dishes using
whipping cream, but you can get chalav
Yisrael cream at a discount!
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Homemade Whipped Cream
The
first thing to know about whipping cream is that you can whip it! Fresh dairy
whipped cream? Sign me up! You can put it on any dessert, or, if your kids ever
had Rabbi Brescher – they’ll know how to make moustaches, wristwatches, or
other fun things with it. Whipped cream is also great to eat, of course; give
it to your kids in a spoon or bowl. It’s delicious plain or with fresh
strawberries or other fruit.
1 c. whipping (heavy) cream
1/4 c. sugar (powdered sugar
optional)
1 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
If you have a
dairy mixer, you can make homemade whipped cream that tastes amazing, truly
amazing! You do not need a mixer for this, but if you do it by hand with a
whisk, be prepared for it to take 45 minutes and all of your arm muscles. (The
slower you whisk, the longer it will take.) I recommend any mixer that has a
whisk attachment (or beaters). This is a great recipe a kid can do as well.
Also, someone is going to have to watch as the whipped cream gets whipped. You
can’t walk away as your mixture could turn into butter if it’s over whipped. (But
then you would have homemade butter! Or, you could save it by adding more
whipping cream, 1 T. at a time until the lumps disappear.) I have always made
my whipped cream with regular sugar, but if the granules bother you, you can
use powdered sugar. I like the tiny bit of texture in my whipped
cream.
You want the cream
to be cold when it’s mixed. Some people even recommend you freeze the bowl
before starting, but I find it whips up just fine in a room temperature
bowl. The recipe can be halved or doubled as needed. Once you put all
the ingredients into the mixing bowl, start the mixer on low – if you start too
high, the cream might be launched out of the bowl – and then increase the
speed. Depending on your mixer, this could take a minute-and-a-half to
two minutes. You want to keep mixing until you have stiff peaks. (Stiff
peaks means that when you lift the whisk or beaters, the cream is left in a
stiff peak and doesn’t fall over or melt back into itself. You can then
transfer the whipped cream into a piping bag or a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped
off. Or simply spoon it onto your desserts or into your mouth. What!? Don’t
worry; it’s totally reasonable to do that. You can ask around.
Okay,
if you don’t want to make whipped cream (which, I don’t know why you wouldn’t
want to, it’s really fun) see more delicious recipes below that you can use
your extra whipping cream for.
Cheesy-Easy-Peasy Biscuits
Cheese biscuits
are amazing and can be paired with the white chili recipe below. Also, they make
a phenomenal breakfast. Just add some scrambled eggs. I am very partial to
poached or sunny-side-up eggs with a runny yolk, so that the biscuits can sop
it all up.
3 c. all purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
4 T. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 c. whipping cream (or use sour
cream, milk, or yogurt)
2 c. grated cheese
Preheat oven to
375°. First mix all dry ingredients, so that the baking powder, sugar,
and salt will be evenly distributed in the dough. Add cream, mix until
combined. Try not to overmix. Fold in cheese. Drop by 1/4 cupfuls onto
greased parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake 20 to 23 minutes. Makes
18 biscuits.
Easy-Peasy Penne à la Vodka
This
recipe was kid tested and approved. Anything with vodka sounds like it should
be an adult dish. However, all the alcohol will be boiled off in the cooking
process, so the end result has the flavor but no actual alcohol. Obviously, you
can make your own spaghetti sauce for this dish, but I am going to give you the
easy version, presuming you want the fastest way to make this dish. (If
you want the “from scratch” version, send me an email. I’ll send it to you.)
1 T. butter or oil
1 T. minced garlic
1 jar (32 oz.) favorite
marinara-like pasta sauce
1/4 c. vodka
1/2 to 1 c. whipping cream
In a 3-quart sauce
pan, heat the butter/oil. Add the garlic and sauté until slightly
browned. Add the tomato sauce, and bring to a simmer. Add vodka and
simmer for 4 minutes. Add cream, and voila! Vodka sauce that is
finger-licking good. While preparing the sauce, you can
boil a pot of water to cook your penne.
Scalloped Potatoes
Cooking spray
6 medium potatoes, peeled and
sliced
1 c. heavy whipping cream
1/2 c. whole milk
2 T. minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 c. shredded cheese
Pre-heat oven
375°. I use a peeler to slice the potatoes after peeling. A food processor
would work great for this as well. Spray a 9x13-inch pan. Layer half the
potatoes. Boil cream, milk, garlic, salt, and pepper for 2 minutes (to flavor
the cream with the garlic). Pour half the cream mixture on top of the potatoes. Spread
half the grated cheese on top of this. Layer the second half of the potatoes on
top. Then pour the other half of the cream mixture on it and top with other
half of cheese. Bake for 50 minutes uncovered. If cheese starts to
over brown, you can put foil loosely on top.
White Tofu Chili Easy-Peasy
You
can use whatever beans you have on hand. If your beans aren’t white – just
adjust the name of the recipe, and it’ll still be yum. You could use Greek
yogurt instead of the sour cream/heavy cream.
2 T. canola oil
1 pound extra firm tofu
1 onion, diced
1 T. minced garlic
2 cans (15-1/2 oz. each) white beans (navy, cannellini, or great northern
beans), rinsed and drained
1 box vegetable broth (32 oz.)
1 jalapeno pepper, diced, seeds removed (optional)
1 tsp. salt
1 T. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
Optional garnish: tortilla chips, avocado slices, sliced grape tomatoes, and/or
grated cheese
Drain tofu and cut
into cubes, then pat dry. (This is so that the oil doesn’t splatter.) In a
large saucepan, heat the oil, and then add the dried tofu. If you have the
patience, brown the tofu on each side. This helps the tofu stay together and
improves the texture (in my opinion). Add the diced onion, and sauté with
the tofu until the onions are translucent or a little brown. Add the garlic,
beans, broth, jalapenos (if adding), and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce
heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in sour
cream and heavy cream. If desired, top with tortilla chips, avocado, grape
tomatoes, and cheese.
Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
I
got the original recipe for this from Taste of Home.
I like that you can see the different layers clearly.
Cake Layer
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
3 T. baking cocoa
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
1 large egg
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
Cheese Layer
2 packages (8 oz. each) cream
cheese, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
Ganache
1 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Preheat oven
to 350°. Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper, spray with cooking
spray. Melt butter and then stir in sugar, cocoa, and vanilla. Add
egg until incorporated. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir just until
combined. Spread as a thin layer in prepared pan. The brownie won’t spread so
far, so make sure you spread it to all 4 corners of your pan. Bake until the top
appears dry, 6 to 8 minutes. (If you want a crunchy crust, bake about 5 minutes
longer.)
Meanwhile, for the
cheese layer, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl until
smooth. Beat in cooled chocolate. Add beaten eggs; beat on low speed just until
combined. Spread over brownie layer. Bake until filling is set, about 25 to 30
minutes. Cool.
For ganache,
microwave chocolate chips in a small bowl until melted (20 seconds at a time,
and then stir so the chocolate doesn’t burn). Add cream and microwave until hot
(so that it is easier to mix. You can also melt the chocolate on top
of the stove and do the same thing. Stir until smooth. Add vanilla; cool
slightly, stirring occasionally. Pour over cheesecake layer. Cool in the pan on
a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Remove brownies from
pan. Cut into bars.
Have
a wonderful Shavuos. Make anything exciting? Let me know. I would love to hear
from you. Contact me via email: bshor@sweetandgoodcatering.com.
