Saturday, November 20, 2010

Waiting for the cream to clot

Okay -- where the heck have I been you ask??  I have been just too busy to blog because we have been clotting cream.....Yes.. another Jim experiment!  It started out with an English tea bridal shower was being planned for Darla ( Eric - middle son) fiance.  So Jim decided that she needed an old fashioned "Cream tea" and he would make some clotted cream - he had ALWAYS wanted to make clotted cream... so I was told.

First the research - the recipe - which is basically whipping cream - pasteurized but not homogenized - Avalon Dairy in Vancouver had the correct whipping apparently - it even comes from Jersey cows.  It is a pretty simple recipe actually.  Bring the whipping cream to room temperature and then let it simmer in a double boiler at 170 F for anywhere from 1 hour to 12 hours..... Jim opted for the 10-12 hour range.



It forms this little crusty layer.
















Once finished - let cool and then take off the top layer and  fold it and mix it all up.




And below..... clotted cream -- wonderful clotted cream. 



Jim took this little "artys" shot of the final result. 




And how much clotted cream do you get from 2 litres of whipping cream -- too much.

I took a bunch to the bridal shower - It was a lovely English tea.  I dug out Aunt Dot's Pink Minton tea service from pre 1950 - it  had probably been in the box for 25 years.  I made little cream scones and bought some special strawberry jam.  Darla's Nana is from Wales and she gave the clotted cream two thumbs up..... but was that enough -----NO - one needs to perfect the recipe - so the following weekend MORE clotted cream was made -- I am now pleading that he stops this NOW - I can't take it anymore!!

Luckily I was at a quilt retreat for the second batch but there was a lot left over and we are still eating it.  I think we need  Jim needs to sit down - eat the rest of it -- finish it off - get it out of the house and be done with it - get his fill and let it go... he's made it - it's fabulous and enough already.....lets get back to something a little less fattening - like prawns!

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