Strawberry Whipped Cream, almost a Fool

These strawberries were so gorgeous that I just had to have them. They were the inspiration for a Summer Torte I made for my stepmother’s birthday, that recipe to come soon. First I made a Strawberry Fool of sorts, but unlike a traditional fool I used pectin to stabilize it. I needed the whipped cream to hold up when used as the layers of the cake, but I didn’t want to use gelatin. I’ve been playing with pectin ever since my brother and his girlfriend became vegans. Plus, it is just fun to play with new ingredients in ways I hadn’t before.

The pectin helps to stabilize the whipped cream just a bit, but still has the light smooth texture of cream.

Stabilized Strawberry Whipped Cream:

3 cups sliced fresh strawberries (2 cups puree)

1/4 cup sugar or to taste (this may depend on how sweet the berries are)

1 packet certo liquid pectin

1 pint heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Puree the strawberries in a blender or food processor. I pureed it until very smooth, but didn’t strain it. I wanted to keep the entire fruit. If you want yours to be perfectly smooth then strain it through a fine meshed sieve.

In a sauce pan bring the puree to a rapid boil for about 1-2 minutes.

Turn the heat off and add the certo to the puree.

Pour into a dish and allow to cool, place in the refrigerator once it is warm to the touch, but not hot. Keep refrigerated until completely cold and slightly set up. Unlike the fruit pâtes this will still be soft, not set hard.

Once the puree is cool and thick you can whip the heavy cream until it is stiff glossy peaks. Carefully fold the strawberry puree into the cream, trying not to work it too much. I love it in layers with fresh strawberries for an easy dessert or as the filling for a summer torte.