A large variety of delicious and attractive desserts may be made from whipped cream. The cream must be of good consistency or it will not whip, and it must not be too thick or the result will be equally unsatisfactory. A pint of cream will more than double in size when whipped, hence it is not as costly a dessert as many may suppose.

The first essential to success in whipping cream is to have both cream and utensils very cold. Set the cream on the ice for at least an hour, to thoroughly chill it; then pour it into a deep bowl. It will expedite the whipping to set the bowl in a pan of pounded ice, but this is not absolutely necessary. Use for whipping a whip-churn (see " Kitchen Utensils," page 46), or a Dover egg-beater. The egg-beater will make the cream light, but it gives it a different consistency from that obtained by churning; and there will not be quite so much froth produced from the cream. Place the churn in the cream, hold the cylinder firmly, and keep the cover in place with the left hand. Tip the churn slightly that the cream may flow out at the bottom. Work the dasher with a light, short stroke upward, and a hard, pushing stroke downward. The first bubbles to appear will be large and will not remain firm, and they should be stirred down with a spoon. When the bowl is full of froth, skim this off into a granite pan placed on ice. Take off the froth only, and do not take it off below the holes in the cylinder, as the cream whips better when they are covered. Do not use too large a bowl for the reason that all the cream will not whip. If the cream is to be used as a garnish, drain it, when whipped, on a hair sieve placed over a pan ; and keep it on ice until stiff enough to retain its shape.

Creams that are to be moulded are made stiffer by the use of gelatine.

Plain Whipped Cream

Sweeten the cream to taste, and add vanilla to flavor rather strongly; then whip the cream light, set it on the ice until cold, and serve. Whipped cream may be eaten in many ways. With strawberries nothing is daintier. It is sometimes served in glasses, sponge cake being passed with it.