All-Natural Strawberry Whipped Cream
Have you ever compared store bought whipped cream to homemade? Making your own with three ingredients is always going to be better than the additives and chemicals in commercial whipped cream (seriously, look at the label some time, it’s crazy!). The texture of the real stuff is fluffier and creamier, and can take as little as 30 seconds to make! It’s a no-brainer! Once you get the hang of plain whipped cream, then you can step it up a notch by adding natural flavors like this Strawberry Whipped Cream!
What is fruit coulis…
A great way to add natural flavor to whipped cream is by adding in a fruit sauce called a coulis (pronounced koo-lee). A fruit coulis is fruit that’s been cooked and then blended. Coulis can be made from fruits or vegetables and are generally served as a cold sauce. You can use just about any fruit, although brighter colored ones give maximum visual impact!
How to make strawberry coulis…
STEP 1: COOK THE FRUIT
Cooking the strawberries helps release the aroma and juices. We add lemon juice and zest – just a little – to enhance the natural acidity of strawberries, and to balance the high sugar content. A pinch of salt enhances the sweetness for a fully developed flavor. The end result is an elevated flavor, far superior to plain strawberries that were cooked and pureed. Note: this is a great way to use (cheaper) frozen fruit or fresh fruit that doesn’t have much life left. Be sure to taste it initially and adjust the sugar content accordingly.
STEP 2: REDUCE/THICKEN THE JUICES
As the strawberries start to cook and soften, I like to use my Pampered Chef Mix ‘N Chop to break them down instead of cutting them by hand. We’ll begin to see an increase of liquid as the juice releases, but as it continues to cook, the water evaporates and the juices and sugars thicken.
STEP 3: PUREE THE MIXTURE
As it continues to reduce, the berry chunks will soften, and the sauce thickens. If we stopped at this point, we would have a warm strawberry compote. This is a great sauce for crepes, strawberry shortcake, or over ice cream! Coulis is a smooth sauce with no lumps, though, so next we’ll puree it. Transfer the mixture to a blender to puree. Make sure to hold the lid on with a dish towel between your hand and the blender in case of hot splatters! If you have a stick/immersion blender, you can puree it right in the pan.
STEP 4: STRAIN THE MIXTURE
Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove any pulp or seeds. I use a flexible rubber spatula to help press it through the strainer. Now, we have a thickened, (concentrated) strawberry flavored sauce!
STEP 5: TEST FOR CONSISTENCY
There’s technically no right or wrong thickness of coulis, it’s really dependent on what it’s going to be used for. When it coats a spoon, and you can run your finger down through the sauce and it will hold the line, it’s thickened. This is called the nappe consistency, and applies to any sauce that needs to be thickened – bernaise, hollandaise, etc. Since we are adding this to delicate whipped cream, we want this extra thick to avoid loosening the cream. If testing it shows it’s not as thick as you want it, return it to the pan and reduce it to the desired consistency.
Adding it to whipped cream…
Now that we have our coulis, we can make strawberry flavored whipped cream. This is pipable, but may not hold ridges and shapes. It’s more “cream” than “whipped”, but what it lacks in stability, it more than makes up for in flavor! Try this with your favorite (fresh or frozen) fruit to see why flavoring naturally has the extracts beat!
This week’s Feature Dessert…
I enjoy chocolate covered strawberries, but I rarely indulge because it’s always a gamble. If strawberries aren’t in season, I might bite into a sour or bland strawberry. This dessert features those familiar flavors, but can be made year round, with fresh or frozen fruit! On top of a Quadruple Chocolate Brownie, is a generous helping of our no-bake cheesecake mousse, topped with naturally flavored strawberry whipped cream, sauce, and crumble! Stay tuned for the complete series of recipes!
Strawberry Whipped Cream
Ingredients
Strawberry Coulis
- 454 g strawberries cleaned and hulled
- 54 g sugar
- a pinch salt
- 1 g lemon zest
- 5 g lemon juice
Whipped Cream
- 100 g heavy cream
- 20 g confectioners' sugar
- 75 g strawberry coulis
- 2 g vanilla (optional)
Instructions
For the Coulis
- Combine all coulis ingredients in large saucepan, over medium low heat. Bring to a simmer.
- If not already chopped, smash fruit with Mix n Chop.
- Continue to simmer and reduce liquid until thickened, about 20-30 minutes.
- Transfer to blender and puree (or use stick/immersion blender in pan)
- Pour puree through fine mesh strainer.
- Test consistency with spoon, and return to heat if it needs to be thicker. Refrigerate once at desired consistency.
For the Whipped Cream
- In a medium bowel, add cold heavy cream and sugar. Beat at medium speed until thickened, but not yet forming peaks.
- Add half the coulis and continue to beat until peaks form. Add remaining coulis, or to taste, and beat until combined.
