Whipped Caramel Cream

Ingredients

• 0.5 cup granulated sugar (Cook until deeply caramelized, past golden brown but not burnt.)
• 1 cup heavy cream (Use cold cream; part is added to the hot caramel and the mixture is chilled before whipping.)
• fine sea salt (Optional; add to taste to balance the caramel.)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the sugar in a medium, light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally but not stirring, until the sugar melts and becomes a very dark amber caramel with a pronounced nutty aroma. Watch closely at this stage: it should be deeply caramelized, but not smoking or black.

2. 2

   Remove the saucepan from the heat. Carefully add a small amount of the heavy cream; the caramel will bubble vigorously. Whisk until the bubbling subsides, then gradually whisk in the remaining cream until smooth. If the caramel seizes into hard pieces, return the pan to low heat and whisk until those pieces dissolve.

3. 3

   Stir in the optional sea salt. Transfer the caramel-cream mixture to a heatproof container and let it cool briefly at room temperature.

4. 4

   Cover and refrigerate the mixture until thoroughly chilled and fully set, about 2 hours. Do not attempt to whip it while warm; the cream must be very cold for it to become airy.

5. 5

   Pour the chilled caramel cream into a mixing bowl. Using a whisk or electric mixer, whip until it thickens and holds soft, billowy peaks. Stop as soon as it is airy and spoonable; overwhipping can make the cream grainy.

6. 6

   Spoon or pipe the whipped caramel cream over rice pudding, fruit crostata, or chocolate cake, or serve it immediately on its own.

Notes

The source page is membership-gated and does not expose the ingredient list or full instructions. Quantities and technique above are a cautious reconstruction from the visible description and yield, not a verified transcription. The visible source states that the caramel keeps refrigerated for up to two days unwhipped. Chill thoroughly before whipping.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• French-inspired
• topping
• no-bake
• make-ahead
• vegetarian
• gluten-free