If there's one thing you should know about clotted cream -- besides its very existence -- it's that this thick cream is basically what you'd have if butter were to get together with whipped cream. In other words, it is the best thing in the world.
Also known as Devonshire cream, clotted cream is a thick cream that hails from the southwest region of England, where they intelligently put it on scones, add it to baked goods and even make it a dessert in and of itself. We're beginning to wonder if clotted cream is the reason tea time is so popular in the U.K. Clotted cream is not cream that has been whipped, but cooked. And when this cream cooks it develops a texture and richness that's best described as something between the two greatest of dairy products: whipped cream and butter.
In the U.S., clotted cream would technically classify as butter because of its wonderfully high fat content -- to be considered clotted cream it has to meet the minimum fat content of 55 percent though more commonly rests along the rich number of 64 percent. We don't know about you, but for us, each additional percent of fat is just another reason we need to get our hands on this cream. The nutty, sweet flavor is a bonus.
The reason clotted cream hasn't exploded across the globe with popularity is that it has an extremely short shelf life, making it difficult to export. That's why you can't find it at most grocery stores, and why it's exorbitantly priced when you do. But, we have a solution to this problem, and it involves your kitchen. While clotted cream might be frustratingly challenging to find, it is relatively simple to make.
We've found a simple recipe for clotted cream, seriously simple to make. The recipe requires nothing more than an oven and time. The only challenge is getting your hands on cream that has not been ultra pasteurized and has a high fat content. But for clotted cream, this search is worth the effort. Head on over to the Cupcake Project for the recipe and enjoy more clotted cream in your life (preferably on some homemade scones -- see below).
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