Whipping Cream

 Everyone should keep whipping cream in their fridge all the time.  I mean ALL the time.  

I used to just buy it for special occasions like Christmas or Thanksgiving.  Until one magical day it was served to me with my coffee and I happened to know the waitress who told me later they always used whipping cream for their coffee service since they kept it on hand anyway.  Life got so much better that day.  I have kept whipping cream on hand ever since and life is so much easier. Without really gaining weight.  

Here is why you should have whipping cream on hand at all times:

1.  Yes, for your coffee in the morning.  If you have to wake up, it might as well be pleasant.

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2.  Chocolate Sauce:

Equal parts dark chocolate chips and whipping cream heated together in the microwave.....It's that easy.  I usually pour about 2 ounces into a tiny jar. Then empty the jar into something else.  Then fill the jar to the same level with whipping cream and put in microwave for about 40 seconds until it starts to boil.  Take out immediately.  Add the chips into the heated cream and stir until the chips are melted and the mixture is silky smooth.  Voila!  You have hot fudge sauce.  Actually you have Chocolate Ganache.  Pour in top of ice cream.  Or a cake if you make enough.

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3.  you might want to make a random Pavlova if you have some extra eggs laying around.

And this is where having hens comes in handy.  When my magnificient and unforgettable best neighbor of all time Alisa moved in next door she brought with her a flock of not just chickens but children, goats and dogs.  The dogs and children would worm their way into my heart never to leave; the children, sadly left physically soon enough but the dogs are still here long after the family exited for the West.  And the love of chickens has also stayed.

Alisa taught me that chickens are far easier than one might think.  You buy a few chick at the store when they are young and adorable.  If you are seasoned you will get pullets.  Those who elect to get the cheaper straight run learn soon enough that they will end up with more roosters than they need nor want and roosters are more trouble than they are worth.  

Hens, on the other hand, will provide you with more eggs than you can handle.  When I had six roaming my yard I had them named and I knew their personalities.  My favorite was Ruth Bader Ginsburg, so named because I watched her fight off a snake in the hen house.  Lettie was snow white and named for the Rowlett  High School eagle mascot.  Six chickens gave me more eggs per day than I knew what to do with.  After giving away about a dozen eggs a week I took to making every dish I could find that required eggs.  Creme Brulee was a good one.  Here is today's recipe for a sure winner and surprisingly easy:  AND you need whipping cream.

Pavlovas 

Here is the one I made last week

and here is the one I bought at my favorite cafe in Winnsboro

where I loved to sit with the Dallas Morning News on Saturday mornings

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4 egg whites (not a trace of yolk)

1/2 cup sugar plus 1/2 cup sugar.......so a whole cup of sugar in all

1 teaspoon vanilla  or almond extract

Parchment paper laid out on a big sheet pan

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.....I run the sugar through the blender to make it super fine. I think it makes the whites beat up fuller but I'm not sure

to make sure you don't get any yolk in the whites I separate each egg one at a time then put it aside into a master bowl.  This way any mistake with a yolk is confined to just that egg instead of contaminating the whole batch of eggs.

Make sure the beaters and bowl are super clean.  Any oil will keep it from beating up fluffy.

Beat the whites with the first half cup of sugar and extract until fluffy.  fold in the other half of the sugar until just combined.  Don't over mix.

People will tell you to draw circles onto the paper but I just spoon the mix onto the sheet and make a depression in the middle.  Be delicate.  The less you move the mixture around the better.

Cook at 210-220 degrees for about 2 hours.  It will be crisp on the outside and soft inside.  It might stick to the paper.  Cook a bit longer if so. Lower the temperature if you notice it browning.

*** Now the magic happens:

When it is cool. (And you can freeze them and keep them for days. maybe weeks.) 

When it is cool, layer each pavlova with whipping cream, strawberries then top with a tiny spoonful of blueberry preserves. Or real blueberries if you have them.