Do you cook with single cream or double cream?

Single and double cream are common dairy products used in cooking, but they serve different purposes and provide varying levels of richness and fat content.

Single Cream

* Fat Content: Single cream has a fat content of around 18-20%.

* Uses: Single cream is suitable for dishes where you want a lighter consistency and a hint of creaminess without overpowering the flavor of other ingredients. It's commonly used in sauces, soups, pasta dishes, quiches, and desserts. It can be whipped to create a light and fluffy texture for mousses, but it won't hold its shape as well as double cream.

Double Cream

* Fat Content: Double cream has a higher fat content, typically ranging from 45-50%.

* Uses: Double cream is ideal for dishes where you want a richer flavor, a velvety texture, and more stability. It's perfect for making sauces, desserts, ice creams, fillings, mousses, and custards. Due to its higher fat content, double cream whips up thicker and holds its shape better, making it suitable for piping and decorating cakes and pastries.

In general, single cream is lighter and has a thinner consistency, while double cream is richer, thicker, and provides more body to your dishes. Depending on the desired texture, flavor intensity, and stability required for your recipe, choose single or double cream accordingly.

It's worth noting that if a recipe calls for double cream and you only have single cream, you can increase its richness by reducing it slightly over low heat to concentrate the fat content. However, the converse is not always true, as diluting double cream with milk won't produce the same consistency and texture as single cream.