Drizzle Heavy Cream Over Fruit Instead of Whipped Cream
My dad lived in Washington state when I was a teenager, which meant that I spent many years picking cherries and berries with my stepmother and sisters. Most of the fruit was baked into tarts and cobblers, but there was always a bowl of berries and whipped cream to celebrate the catch.
The first time my stepmother handed me a bowl of berries and whipped milk products, I thought she had missed a step. “Aren’t we going to whip it up?” I asked her. “We don’t need to,” she told me. “This is good”. I didn’t believe her, but I believed her and took a bite.
Hey, guess what? The woman who cooked and fed people longer than me was really right. The cold, rich and lightly sweetened cream paired perfectly with the bright, seasonal berries that were like candy. Instead of focusing on a mountain of fluffy, ostentatious whipping cream, my focus turned to berries. Cream was no longer a star, it was a minor act, which is honestly it should be when dealing with freshly picked fruits. Taste aside, the lack of effort makes it the perfect summer dessert. Place a handful of berries in a bowl, sprinkle with a little sugar and cream. I promise you don’t miss out on the aeration – when you have really good fruits, the aeration is just the gilding of the lilies.