I pretty much booze up everything, from puddings, candies and cupcakes to baked beans and, yes, I even turn whipped cream alcoholic. I'm just a booze infusing fool and folks have come to expect to have a little alcoholic kick in whatever I serve them. I make no apologies, it's part of my job ... and it's fun.
If you're looking for a way to spike up your next cocktail or dessert, try this recipe:
BASIC BOOZY WHIPPED CREAM
INGREDIENTS:
1 C. Heavy Whipping Cream
1/3 C. Powdered Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract, optional
2 Teaspoons to 1-1/2 Tablespoons Liqueur or Liquor (amount depends on how boozy you want it.)
TOOLS: Large stainless steel bowl, hand mixer, measuring spoons
DIRECTIONS:
Make sure all your ingredients AND tools are as cold as possible. I chill my stainless steel bowl and my mixer blades in the freezer for 20 minutes before whipping my cream. This helps you not to over beat the cream into butter.
Combine all your ingredients then beat on high until soft peaks form.
Serve immediately or within 30 minutes.
Need your whipped cream to last longer?
Here's a little trick I learned in culinary school; add some bloomed gelatin to the whipped cream.
Follow the instructions above THEN:
Put a teaspoon of unflavored gelatin powder into 1/4 cup of cold water in the bottom of a small sauce pan. Allow the gelatin to absorb into the water for about 3 or 4 minutes. Heat over medium just until the gelatin dissolves then allow to cool slightly. When cool, gently fold into your whipped cream then re-whip to soft peak consistency.
This stabilized version of whipped cream not only lasts several days in the refrigerator, but is great for when you want to take a dessert or recipe with whipped cream to a party.
Try some of these boozed up whipped cream combinations:
Cointreau with a little bit of orange zest and a teaspoon of orange juice added to the recipe.
2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree and some pumpkin pie spices.
Lemoncello with some lemon zest and teaspoon of lemon juice.
Chocolate liqueur and a teaspoon of dark cocoa powder.
Espresso liqueur and a teaspoon of instant espresso powder.
Spiced rum with a tablespoon of mango (or papaya, pineapple, etcetera) puree and lime zest.
P.S. This recipe works for non-alcoholic flavored whipped cream as well, just leave out the booze and add some of your favorite spices, purees, extracts and/or flavored powders.
