Herb-Infused Whipped Cream: A Sweet Boost of Flavor
Louisa Shafia
If you've ever made your own whipped cream, then you know that there aren't many foods that taste better than this rich, versatile treat. It's great on pies, cakes, pancakes, anything made of chocolate, even simple fresh fruit. Enhanced by a spoonful of confectioner's sugar and a dash of vanilla extract, whipped cream is pretty hard to improve on, but I've been trying. With all of summer's fragrant herbs in season, I'm experimenting with naturally flavored whipped creams, and the results have been sublime.
Flavoring whipped cream with an herb takes a few simple steps, and a bit of planning. First, decide when you want to serve your whipped cream, as you'll need 8-24 hours of lead time before it can be made. Then, select which herb you'd like to use. The choice simply depends upon your taste: Lemon balm (pictured above), lemon verbena, mint, and lavender come to mind, but you can go further afield and choose herbs more commonly used in savory preparations, like thyme and rosemary. If you choose a more savory herb, you may want to increase the amount of sugar you put in the cream. Edible flowers with delicate flavors, such as violets, roses, chamomile, and honeysuckle work beautifully, too.
Once you've chosen your herb, pour the cream into a glass or stainless steel bowl. Roll the herbs between your palms, crushing them gently but firmly to bring out the essential oils. Once the scent of the herb has been released, drop it into the cream, and stir until completely submerged. Now comes the waiting: Place the bowl in the refrigerator, and allow the herb to infuse the cream for up to a day. If you wait any less than 8 hours, you won't have a very strong herbal flavor. When the cream is ready, strain out the herbs and whip the cream. The only hard part is waiting for the cream to be ready. The smell alone may force you to taste the cream, un-whipped, just to satisfy your craving. I did. I'm curious to hear what you use to flavor your cream, so please share your experiments and the results. I'd love to learn something new, so don't hold back!
Herb-Infused Whipped Cream
If you use an herb with a very potent taste, such as lavender or rosemary, reduce the amount of herbs used in the recipe by 50-75%, or the cream can turn bitter and overpower the taste of whatever you serve it with. Make sure that your herbs are completely dry before adding them to the cream, or the cream won't whip.
It's best to avoid washing your herbs altogether, because it's hard to get rid of water that clings to the leaves. Remember, the cream will be strained, so all but the tiniest particles of dirt will be trapped in the strainer or cheesecloth.
1 cup loosely packed herbs, such as lemon balm, lemon verbena, or mint
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar (or use granulated sugar that's been ground into powder in a spice grinder)
Pour the cream into a clean glass or stainless steel bowl. Rub the herbs between your hands to release their essential oils. When crushed, the herbs will usually release a little liquid, so your palms will feel lightly damp. Drop the crushed herbs into the cream, and stir with a spoon until the herbs are fully submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 8-12 hours.
Strain the cream through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Discard the herbs. Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Add the sugar and whip slowly. Taste and add more sugar if necessary, then continue to whip until the cream forms stiff peaks. Serve with fresh fruit or pastry.
