English Clotted Cream Food

CLOTTED CREAM

Steps:

• Set a coffee filter basket, lined with a filter, in a strainer, over a bowl. Pour the cream almost to the top of the filter. Refrigerate for 2 hours. The whey will sink to the bottom passing through the filter leaving a ring of clotted cream. Scrape this down with a rubber spatula and repeat every couple of hours until the mass reaches the consistency of soft cream cheese.

DOUBLE CREAM

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients in a stainless steel bowl and whisk until the cream holds its shape.
• Refrigerate the cream until ready to use.
• Double cream should be used within an hour after it is made.
• If you wait longer, you will need to re-whip it slightly.

CHEF JOHN'S CLOTTED CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 175 to 180 degrees F (80 degrees C).
• Pour cream into shallow glass or ceramic baking dish (an 8- or 9-inch square pan is ideal). Cream should be about 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep.
• Place dish in preheated oven. Bake 12 hours. Do not stir. Carefully remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or until completely chilled.
• Turn over a corner of the top layer of thickened cream; carefully pour liquid underneath into a container to use for baking.
• Pack the thickened (clotted) cream into a ceramic crock or canning jar. Cover and refrigerate up to 5 days.

EASY CLOTTED CREAM

Steps:

• Using a whisk attachment on the mixer, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Remove from mixer, and hand whisk in the sour cream and confectioners' sugar until just combined. Store in refrigerator.

CLOTTED CREAM

Steps:

• Heat the cream in a heavy sauté pan and gently on the lowest heat for 5-6 hours, by which time it will have a rich, deep-yellow, wrinkled crust (use a diffuser mat if necessary). The cream must not boil or simmer.
• Let the cream cool overnight, but preferably not in a fridge (I leave it in a cold pantry).
• Next day, lift off the crust, or "clout" as my Cornish son-in-law calls it. Spoon the cream into sterilized glass jars, cover, and store in the fridge. The clotted cream is on top; thick cream left over when the clotted cream is removed can be used as heavy cream and it keeps for ages-several weeks at least.
• If your stove doesn't go low enough, then put the cream into an earthenware bowl, set it in a bain-marie, and proceed as above.

CLASSIC SCONES WITH JAM & CLOTTED CREAM

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Tip the self-raising flour into a large bowl with ¼ tsp salt and the baking powder, then mix.
• Add the butter, then rub in with your fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the caster sugar.
• Put the milk into a jug and heat in the microwave for about 30 secs until warm, but not hot. Add the vanilla extract and a squeeze of lemon juice, then set aside for a moment.
• Put a baking tray in the oven. Make a well in the dry mix, then add the liquid and combine it quickly with a cutlery knife - it will seem pretty wet at first.
• Scatter some flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out. Dredge the dough and your hands with a little more flour, then fold the dough over 2-3 times until it's a little smoother. Pat into a round about 4cm deep. Take a 5cm cutter (smooth-edged cutters tend to cut more cleanly, giving a better rise) and dip it into some flour. Plunge into the dough, then repeat until you have four scones. You may need to press what's left of the dough back into a round to cut out another four.
• Brush the tops with a beaten egg, then carefully arrange on the hot baking tray. Bake for 10 mins until risen and golden on the top. Eat just warm or cold on the day of baking, generously topped with jam and clotted cream. If freezing, freeze once cool. Defrost, then put in a low oven (about 160C/140C fan/gas 3) for a few minutes to refresh.

MOCK CLOTTED CREAM SUBSTITUTE

Steps:

• Combine the cream cheese, sugar and sour cream in a small bowl.
• Beat until fluffy.
• Add the almond extract and milk to thin a bit.
• Blend well.
• Allow to set at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
• Makes enough for about a dozen scones.

CLOTTED CREAM

Steps:

• Pour the cream or milk into a wide double saucepan or bowl and place over some hot water on your cooker.
• Leave the water to simmer for 2-3 hours.
• When the cream or milk has developed a thick bubbly layer on top, remove from the stove and cool in a cool place first and then in the fridge for several hours.
• Once the cream has cooled through, carefully lift off the top layer and place in a different container. It should make approx. 150 g. of delicious clotted cream for you to enjoy!