Whipped custard crème
Irresistibly satiny crème légère (‘light cream’ in the French
cream lexicon) ticks two vital boxes for the baker: silky smooth
AND robust enough inside a Rhubarb and strawberry hand pie
(page 100) or between cake layers. I adjust the whipped cream
amount according to my needs – billowy or bolstering – but the
recipe below is your luscious launching point.

In a medium bowl, whip the cream to just soft peaks with a hand
whisk (this amount will be too small for most stand mixers).* Set aside.

Place the cold custard into a medium bowl and smear against the
side of the bowl with a stiff spatula to soften it from a solid set mass
to a thick and creamy consistency. Smooth out any lumps.

Fold the cream in lightly with the stiff spatula, taking care not to
overwork the mix. Ensure there are no white streaks remaining. If you
are increasing the cream amount, add it in two batches. Keep chilled.

Don’t freeze.

* It’s a bummer when cream is whipped past silky clouds into chunky, rough-
textured blobs. If this happens, my top tip is to add a dash of extra cold cream
or cold milk to regulate the temperature and slacken the mix.

 
Keeps Best used soon after making as
the cream can slump if held too long.

Makes 420 g (15 oz). Takes With cooled custard,
just 5 minutes.
100 g/ ml (3½ oz) thick cream
(35–45% milkfat)
1 × small batch Cold-start thick
custard (page 247)