In the list of ingredients of Anglo-Saxon recipes, heavy cream is often found. This high-fat cream is not readily available in Italy, but it is possible to replace it with other products or a combination of them. If you want to cook some overseas delights, then, don't worry! You can make a heavy cream substitute with a couple of ingredients and in minutes!
Ingrediants
- 180 ml of whole milk
- 60 g of butter
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Making the Heavy Cream
Step 1. Melt the butter
Start with butter that has been brought to room temperature. There are a few different methods to blend it, here are some tips:
- On the stove. Put the butter in a pan and turn the heat to low. This ingredient melts at a temperature between 28 and 36 ° C, the room temperature of a very hot day. Check the butter carefully and remove it from the heat when it is melted for ¾. Use a spoon or spatula to spread it across the bottom of the pan as it becomes liquid.
- In the microwave. Cut the butter into small cubes and place it in a microwave safe container. At this point you can heat it in the appliance at intervals of about 10 seconds, until it is completely melted.
Step 2. Pour the melted butter into the milk
Use a medium-sized bowl for this and mix 60g of melted butter and 180ml of whole milk together. Remember to let the butter cool down a bit before incorporating it into the milk.
If you prefer to use skim milk, then you will need to add 15 g of flour to help the "cream" thicken
Step 3. Work the ingredients with a whisk
Mix them together with an electric hand mixer, a fork or a spoon. Keep stirring the mixture for several minutes, until the cream becomes thick and frothy.
Know that this type of cream doesn't whip up like the heavy cream you can buy in supermarkets
Step 4. Save the cream (optional)
Put it in a closed container inside the refrigerator where it will keep for a day or two.
Step 5. Use the heavy cream substitute
You can immediately use these 240ml of homemade cream in baking, soups or some salty sauce.
Method 2 of 2: Try Alternative Ingredients
Step 1. Try using skim milk and corn starch
If you only drink skim milk, you can still use it as a base for the heavy cream substitute. In this case you have to use 240 ml of milk and add 30 g of cornstarch or neutral gelatin. Let the mixture thicken by mixing it for 3-4 minutes with a whisk.
Step 2. Give the tofu and soy milk a try
If you're looking for a low-fat or vegetarian option, try blending tofu with unflavored soy milk. Work the mixture until it is smooth and even.
This is a healthy alternative to heavy cream
Step 3. Mix the milk with the ricotta
You can combine this cheese with skimmed milk powder, in equal parts, to create a low-calorie heavy cream. Keep mixing them until the final mixture is smooth and without lumps.
If you don't have powdered milk, you can use regular skim milk
Step 4. Try evaporated milk with vanilla extract
Cool the milk and then add lots of vanilla flavor according to your taste.
This compound is perfect for soups that need to be enriched with heavy cream
Step 5. Combine Greek yogurt with milk
This type of yogurt is much thicker than regular yogurt and can be used as a less fat alternative to heavy cream. Remember that for biscuits or breads that include heavy cream among the ingredients, you must use a mixture with 50% whole milk and 50% Greek yogurt, in this way you will keep the flavor of the fat.
- In preparations where texture is key, such as cheesecake, you can use commercial heavy cream with an equal amount of Greek yogurt to reduce the fat content.
- Remember that yogurt can curdle if you heat it too quickly. Always heat it very slowly when using it to make a sauce.
- You can even make Greek yogurt yourself. Just wrap 480ml of plain plain yogurt in cheesecloth. Let the liquid drain for several hours and you'll get 240ml of thicker yogurt.
Step 6. Try a mixture of milk, cream and butter
Sometimes you can find "diluted" cream on the market, in the Anglo-Saxon world it is called "half-and-half" because it is a mixture of equal parts of whole milk and cream with a total fat content of around 12%. If you can get hold of this ingredient, you can try making this heavy cream substitute. Melt 40 g of butter and let it cool. Be careful that it doesn't solidify again in the process. Add 210ml of "half-and-half" and mix to homogenize the mixture.
Step 7. Use a low-fat spreadable cheese
Low-fat, creamy cheeses provide the right texture and at the same time reduce the total calories of the preparation.
- If the original recipe says 240ml of heavy cream, you can only use 120ml of cream cheese.
- The flavor of spreadable cheeses is slightly acidic. Do not use them in preparations that require the typical sweetness of heavy cream.
