Luxuriously smooth clotted cream is a decadent spread for scones, and can be used in cooking and baking.
For this month's edition of Progressive Eats, we're not sharing a meal, we're sharing homemade condiment recipes. Our host this month is Lauren of Healthy Delicious.
Since most fruits for my favorite flavors of jams and preserves aren't in season, I decided to look elsewhere for inspiration. I signed up to bring baked goods to our elementary school's teachers on St. Patrick's Day, and thought, what if I made homemade clotted cream to go with the scones I plan to make for them?
What is Clotted Cream?
Clotted cream is thickened heavy cream. It is heated very slowly to separate the fat from the milk, then the thickened fat is skimmed off. This is the clotted cream. The milk that remains can be used in any recipe that calls for milk.
It has a neutral flavor, similar to mascarpone cheese, though I suppose this will depend on the variety of cream you use, how fresh your cream is, and what the cows who produce it are fed. The clotted cream has a luxurious, velvety feel in your mouth.
FAQs or Tips
Q: Why does it have to be non-ultra-pasteurized cream?
A: Ultra-pasteurized cream is heated to a higher temperature to give it a longer shelf life. The trade-off is that it won't whip as well as regularly-pasteurized cream, and it also doesn't work when making homemade clotted cream because the higher temperature means the fat has a harder time separating from the milk.
Q: How do I store homemade clotted cream?
A: Store it in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.
A: The clotted cream will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Q: Can I freeze homemade clotted cream?
A: You can, but it will make a slightly noticeable change to the texture. For that reason, it's best to use defrosted clotted cream in cooking and baking, not as a condiment.
Clotted cream isn't only used for scones! Spread it on toast, muffins, quick breads, cornbread, pancakes, waffles, French toast, Irish soda bread, crumpets ... whatever you'd normally spread butter on.
Since most people won't use a whole lot of clotted cream, this can also make a great homemade gift! Make the whole 2 cups, then divide it into smaller jars to give as gifts.
Luxuriously smooth clotted cream is a decadent spread for scones, and can be used in cooking and baking.
Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream (non-ultra-pasteurized)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Pour the cream into a 9x13 glass baking dish, or any dish that allows the cream to spread out, and reach between 1 and 3 inches up the sides of the dish.
Place the pan, uncovered, in the oven for twelve hours.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the cream cool to room temperature. Cover the dish with cling wrap or tin foil, and chill for 8 hours.
The cream will thicken as it chills. After 8 hours, skim the thickened cream off the top into a storage container (see notes), and stir. If it is too thick to stir, add a small bit of the remaining liquid back into the clotted cream, keeping in mind that the clotted cream will soften as it warms back up to room temperature.
Notes
Don't discard the milk remaining in the dish after skimming off the cream! Use it in any recipe that calls for milk.
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I am not a certified nutritionist. This nutrition information is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only.
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Welcome to Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a Progressive Dinner Party. This month’s theme is about making homemade condiments, and our host is Lauren who blogs at Healthy Delicious.
If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With Progressive Eats it’s a virtual party. The host for the month chooses the theme and members share recipes on that theme suitable for a delicious meal or party (or, in this case, the condiments that make those meals special!). Then you can hop from blog to blog to check them out. So come along and see all of the delicious and inspired dishes!
Clotted cream (a.k.a. clouted, scalded cream, or Devonshire cream) is a British topping made by heating cream or full-fat milk, then allowing it to cool slowly. As it cools, the cream rises to the top and "clots."
Did you transfer more whey than you realized when scooping the clots of cream into a bowl? I find that my clotted cream is too runny when I use ultra pasteurized cream, don't let it chill long enough or transfer too much whey when scooping out the clots of cream.
That doesn't mean that you're totally out of luck when it comes to clotted cream here in the U.S. It might not be authentic, but versions of the cream are for sale on Amazon and at stores like Whole Foods.
Whether clotted cream is made at home or bought in a supermarket, the process is the same. Clotted cream was used historically as a way to preserve milk. An average rule of thumb is Clotted cream can be kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
The next best thing would be any other thick cream. Get some double cream (heavy cream to Americans) and whip it until stiff, and you'll have about the right consistency.
What is a good clotted cream substitute? If you can't get your hands on proper clotted cream, you could of course simply whip some heavy cream but you could also have a go at some other types of cream like mascarpone or creme fraiche.
Place the cream cheese in a medium bowl and beat with a hand mixer until fluffy and smooth. Add butter and beat. Add sour cream and beat once more until smooth. Serve on fresh scones.
So to answer your question, you probably won't get exactly what you want. The fresh cream you add will likely whip, and the clotted cream is thick enough that you might not have the stability issues I had, but it definitely won't be a regular whipped cream. I would be careful whipping it at all, however.
Clotted cream has a unique taste, often described as being similar to a high-quality unsalted butter. It can also have nutty notes from the milk's long cooking time. When it comes to texture, clotted cream could be compared to softened cream cheese, with the richness falling somewhere between butter and whipped cream.
It is also called Devonshire, Devon clotted cream, or Cornish clotted cream, depending on where it was made. The dish is traditionally made with full-fat unpasteurized cow's milk, although many recipes today feature heavy cream.
Clotted cream has the richness of butter but the creaminess of whipped cream. As my colleague Anya put it, "it's everything you love about whipped cream, but better because it's thick." It's thick enough to sit on top of a scone rather than sink in; in that way, it creates the perfect bed for a layer of jam.
Ingredients. * For the recipe to work you have to use pasteurized cream, this is very important. You might have to search for this because many stores only sell ultra-pasteurized. I found mine at Trader Joes, Meijer and Whole Foods, so it is out there, just look carefully in the chill cabinet, trust me it is worth it.
With a minimum butterfat content of 55%, clotted cream is high in fat with a rich mouthfeel. While not advisable to enjoy copious quantities of clotted cream daily, it does possess a good amount of vitamins A, B12, and D, calcium, magnesium, protein, zinc and phosphorus.
Store the clotted cream in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze small portions of the clotted cream for up to two months. Thaw desired portions in the refrigerator overnight before using.
Yes, you can… BUT… if it's been sitting out for a day or two, it could go rancid when frozen. So, if you want to freeze leftover clotted cream, try to freeze it as soon as possible after opening. Ideally, within the same day.
With a minimum butterfat content of 55%, clotted cream is high in fat with a rich mouthfeel. While not advisable to enjoy copious quantities of clotted cream daily, it does possess a good amount of vitamins A, B12, and D, calcium, magnesium, protein, zinc and phosphorus.
With its ultra-thick consistency, clotted cream can even be mistaken for butter. But butter is churned, rather than separated, and while clotted cream may be closer to butter in terms of fat content, its flavour is more milky than buttery.
Can you whip clotted cream to thicken it? No.If done right, the consistency will already be thick and creamy with no extra whipping required. How do you loosen clotted cream?
We now attribute this longer shelf life to the higher butterfat content of clotted cream which is 64% on average compared with 48% for heavy or double cream. To make clotted cream, milk or cream is heated at a low temperature until a buttery crust forms.
Introduction: My name is Twana Towne Ret, I am a famous, talented, joyous, perfect, powerful, inquisitive, lovely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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