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Oct 19, 2016 By Joe Carei for The 5 min read

One of the bigger questions that I have gotten over the years is the substitions of creams in recipes.

There are many reasons for the substitutions. You cannot find or want to spend money on whipping cream. Perhaps you want to reduce fat or calories in a recipe. Or you have a certain cream or milk in their refrigerator already and really don’t want to make a trip to the store.

Cream’s designation comes from the fat content in the cream. The fat content usually correlates with how it will be used in a recipe. There are different grades to creams. They are as follows: Half and Half (12 percent fat) usually used for coffee and cereal, making ice cream, ganache and some pasta sauces. Light cream (2 percent fat) is used for baked goods, with fruits and thin sauces. Whipping cream (30-36 percent fat) is used for soups and sauces, custards and can be whipped for topping. Heavy whipping cream (36-40 percent fat) is used for thickened sauces, desserts and is best for whipped cream. There are higher fat creams like clotted cream, double cream and manufacturer’s cream that have fat content as high as 60 percent. These creams are harder to find and some of their uses are utilized differently.

In order to be called cream, it must have a fat content of 18 percent in the United States. In other countries, such as the United Kingdom, it may require it to be 30 percent to be called cream. But, of course, clotted cream (60 percent fat) is readily available there. There is always the question of pasteurized and ultra-pasteurized. When choosing for flavor and whipped cream with better peaks, choose the pasteurized. The benefit to ultrapastuerized is longer shelf life and not much more. I use locally-sourced Jacksons Farms creams and they are just pasteurized, superior, and less expensive to anything else I get in a grocery store.

As the fat increases, the versatility of the cream also increases. Creams that contain a higher fat content will not curdle in soups and sauces, and create a richer finished product. When substituting creams it is better to go to a higher fat content. But, for fat and calorie reducing reasons, you’ll only want to go one cream lower. You want to make sure that everything will work out on a molecular fashion, i.e. no curdling.

But, you can manipulate the creams with different additives to make lower creams work as substitutions for higher creams. If you do not want to sacrifice richness, you will need to replace the fat. Butter does the trick. When substituting for a cup of half and half in a recipe (usually baking), substitute with 7/8 cup of milk mixed with one tablespoon of melted butter. You can substitute milk straight up in recipe, but you will experience a small change in texture and richness. Remember, the fat acts as a tenderizer in baked goods.

If you will be substituting with lower creams or milk in soups or sauce recipes, you will need to add a stabilizer. If you don’t, the heat will break down the lower cream. To replace a pint of heavy cream, you would need to make a roux with one tablespoon flour and one tablespoon of butter. Whisk in one cup of milk, half and half or even evaporated milk. Heat until slightly thickened. This is basically a béchamel sauce. To completely mimic the fat content, make your roux with a tablespoon of flour and ¼ cup butter. You can mix a tablespoon of arrowroot or cornstarch with cup milk or half and half and heat, but you will lose richness. In making custards, you can manipulate the fat content with egg or egg yolks as stabilizer.

In creating dessert sauces, such as ganache and cream anglaise, you can substitute without manipulation. But as in baking, adding butter or fat adds richness.

There is no substitute for heavy cream in making whipped cream. But one does comes close. For four cups of whipping cream, put a cup of evaporated milk in the freezer for a half hour. Then whip in a mixer with a cold bowl and beater on high for a minute. Add ½ cup powdered sugar and ½ tsp vanilla and continue to beat on high for a couple of more minutes. Serve or use immediately. As per every substitution; less fat, less richness.

As in life, there is no substitute for the real thing. But, when it comes to creams, you can cheat a little.

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2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups Jackson’s farm milk, ½ and 1/2,evaporated milk, light cream

In sauce pot, cook butter and flour for around 2 minutes careful not to let get brown. Whisk in milk/cream and heat until thickened. Do not boil! Create your soups and sauces.

Custard for crème brulee

4 egg yolks

2 cups Jackson’s farm heavy cream (milk (5 yolks), light cream, half and half or evaporated milk)

¼ cup sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

In mixing bowl whisk sugar, vanilla and yolks. Heat up cream (do not boil). Temper egg mixture, by whisking hot cream into egg mix. When fully incorporated transfer to casserole dish or ramekins. Bake in 350 degree oven, in a water bath, for 35-45 minutes. Custard should be set.

Sugary cookies

1 cup butter

2 cups flour

1/3 cup heavy cream (milk or half and half or evaporated milk)

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend the butter and flour; beat in heavy cream and vanilla. Chill dough. Roll out to ¼ inch, and cut into desired shapes. Dip in sugar and bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.