heavy whipping cream in place of whole milk?

[e&tsmom]

Hi - Please help!! Dh, the sweetie that he is, bought me heavy whipping cream. Love him - he is a big help, but I now have 4 tall containers (quarts?) of heavy whipping cream. Didnt need whipping cream at all. Not completely sure why he got it, but I digress...

So, I am making a pumpkin soufle-type thing for Christmas. It has pumpkin, honey, while milk, and eggs. Can I use the heqvy whipping cream in place of the whole milk? I wont whip it or anything. I just hate to have all that cream go to waste. Thoughts?

[MeepyCat]

I would worry that, for souffle, which is kind of a precision trick, whipping cream would screw things up. I'm nervous around souffle.

But you have a gallon of whipping cream. Good god.

So, first, you're having whipped cream with your souffle. And on your cocoa, which will also be made with cream. And if you're making mashed potatoes, there should be heavy cream in those, and you're probably also putting it in soup. That's the first quart.

Cream cake? Cookies? Swap with a neighbor?

[JamieCatheryn]

Make ice cream to top your pies! Do you have an ice cream maker? They usually sell them in summer but maybe you could find it anyway. Homemade ice cream is soooo good.

[ursusarctos]

I have used cream in baking (biscuits) when I discovered I was out of milk at the last minute. I diluted it a bit with water and it worked great. I might be a bit iffier about using it for something more intricate than biscuits, but I bet it would work for basic cake, pies, bread...

[cristeen]

It depends on the recipes, really. In something where milk is providing the liquid component for fluidity (like gravy) - cream doesn't work unless you dilute it with water. In that instance, cream acts as a fat.

I'd be worried in a souffle that the excess fat would make your souffle not rise. But in all sorts of recipes, it will work. Custards, ice cream, eggnog, you can even make your own butter, sour cream/creme fraiche, etc. There are many recipes where the cream will work in the place of milk just fine.

[e&tsmom]

Thanks for the input. Let me give more information... I said soufle b/c it has eggs in it, but seriously, I dont really know what souflee is. You mix pumpkin, honey, milk, and eggs and then you bake it in the oven. If that sounds like a souflee then I should nix the use of heavy cream for sure. If that just sounds like a casserole, then would the cream work then? The reason i ask id because i need to make 2 of these and that would take care of at least one quart. any thoughts on how to ake butter with the cream. I do think I'll make whipped cream for the cookies ( too many cookies so no pies this year) and i WISH WISH WISH we had an ice cream maker. Could I freeze it? MIL told me one she used to freeze milk. Think I can do the same for cream? Oooh maybe I'll bake bread with the cream...I always use milk. YUM!

[philomom]

Alfredo, scones and anything you can bake.

[JessicaS]

creme brulee??

yum

[sunnysandiegan]

Scones made with cream are extra delicious! Google "cream scones" and look for an authentic British recipe. SO YUMMY!!!!!!!!!

I have frozen cream before. Hmmmm.... It turns out a different consistency when you thaw it. If you want to use the frozen/thawed cream in soup or baked goods, then I think it'll be fine. Just remember to freeze it in portions you would use. If you want to whip the cream after it had been frozen, better to try freezing the already whipped cream. I'd only try a small amount since cream isn't cheap unless someone else can chime in that it turns out good. I haven't done that, yet.

My DD's class made butter in glass jars a couple years ago. They just shook the jar of cream until it turned into butter. We parents then got to have it on something the next day they served to us. (I have forgotten the occasion, but it was fun.) The butter tasted like the unsalted kind we use for baking versus the salted kind we use for everything else.

[cristeen]

Unless you're whipping those egg whites to a stiff peak first, what you describe sounds like a custard, and cream works just fine in that.

[LaughingHyena]

Yes you can freeze it, the pot in I have says to lightly whip it first.

[BetsyS]

I've frozen it before, but like a PP said, it doesn't really whip after being frozen.

Cream lasts a long time just in the fridge. Probably easily 2 weeks after the date if it's unopened.

I make cream of vegetable soups (tomato, broccoli, cauliflower, carrot) with cream. Very good. Like a pp said--mashed potatoes made with cream are sooo good.

You can top any and all desserts with cream. My mother is not a baker/dessert maker, and her go-to dessert is homemade applesauce served over whipped cream (so it's apples in a cloud). It's actually really elegant and quite tasty. Try it!

[tinuviel_k]

How old are your kids? If they are old enough it might be a really fun project to make butter! Heck, even if they are really young it might be fun to make butter just for you. I love doing it. I make butter sometimes in my stand mixer, food processor, blender, or even in just a jar.