By whipping up Chantilly cream you’ll be adding a snow-like decadence to your fruits and desserts.
The precise history of Chantilly cream is a bit muddled, but it without a doubt originated in France, sometime in (or potentially before) the 17th century, and has strong roots to the Château de Chantilly. Some versions of history credit chef François Vatel (a chef who supposedly killed himself at an extravagant banquet for Louis XIV in 1671 after a mishap with the fish delivery). However, some historians dispute this origin story, citing written recipes describing “milk snow” almost a century before Vatel’s career took off. To those historians discrediting Vatel, I beg the question, was the described milk snow sweetened or not?
Sweetened milk snow
Chantilly cream is a smooth and fluffy frosting. It’s whipped cream with the addition of sweetener and flavor. If you close your eyes and eat it you very well may describe it as a sweet milk snow. Ahh, if only the sky poured such amazing flavor, we’d all love winter. Chantilly cream is incredibly light, creamy and divine. It oozes with elegance and adds a premium touch of decadence to whatever it touches.
Chantilly cream vs. other creams
If you’re wondering what sets Chantilly cream apart from whipped cream or other creams, especially at the time of origin, it’s the addition of sugar and vanilla.
Regular whipped cream is simply heavy cream whipped into peaks to form an airy texture. Then there is pastry cream, a thicker yellow sweet cream with several more ingredients like eggs and cornstarch, making it yellow in color. All three creams share the base of heavy cream, but on the spectrum, Chantilly cream sits in between whipped cream and pastry cream. It has additional ingredients, but not as many as pastry cream, though it does share the sweetness of pastry cream. The whipped texture of Chantilly cream is light and fluffy like that of whipped cream, as the additions of sugar and vanilla don’t weigh down the chilled heavy cream. Whereas pastry cream is different in texture entirely.
There are other creams running in the race such as: clotted cream, double cream and crème fraîche — but Chantilly cream stands out above the rest for its sweetened flavor profile. Nothing quite compares to the sweet yet airy texture of Chantilly cream. It’s also very versatile and nowadays people make it with other flavors, like almond Chantilly cream, or using liqueurs in place of the vanilla.
How to Make Ahead and Store?
You must refrigerate the Chantilly cream. You can take it out and let it sit at room temperature for an hour before serving. Chantilly cream can stay good in an airtight container for 5-7 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for up to 4 months, but must ensure it’s in a tightly-lidded container. Thaw and whip before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Chantilly cream with anything you want to sweeten. It’s amazing on Buttermilk Pancakes, Sheet Cakes, Apple Pie, or as a dipping cream for fruits. It’s perfect as a filling for Doughnut Sandwich Cookies as well. Essentially anything you wish to add a touch of divine goodness to will complement Chantilly cream.
Chantilly Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream chilled
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or pure vanilla paste)
Instructions
- Ensure the mixing bowl and beaters are chilled before you begin.
- Pour the chilled heavy cream into the mixing bowl.
- Add the granulated sugar and vanilla extract to the cream.
- Using an electric mixer, whip the mixture on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, which should take about 3-5 minutes.
- Once the desired consistency is reached, use immediately or cover and refrigerate until needed.
Leave a Comment