Whipped Cream

So you went out and picked the fruit. You rolled out the dough. You weaved a gorgeous pie crust that Betty Crocker herself would envy. You even made a pretty little pattern on the crust edges. It comes out of the oven all bubbly, juicy and fragrant and cools on the kitchen counter as you swirl around the kitchen in your apron, heels and pearls, the Pie Queen herself.

And when it's time to serve this work of art? It gets schmeared with Cool Whip.

I grew up on Cool Whip. I would eat it by the spoonful. Heck, I still dip my fingers in a tub of it when given the chance. But sometimes it's like a flat note at the end of a wedding ceremony solo - it just doesn't fit. Real whipped cream, aka The Real Deal, is heaven on a spoon. Velvety, lilting - it slides and glides like Dali's famous melting clocks. And here's the kicker - homemade whipped cream is killer easy to make in your mixer. Give it two, three minutes tops, start to finish.

No mixer? Try one of those rotary egg beaters, or just toughen up your wrist and whisk by hand. It'll take longer, but then you can call it eco-friendly.

Whipped Cream

1 cup cold whipping cream

2-3 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whip the cream in a chilled mixer bowl on high speed with whisk attachment until it starts to stiffen (you'll see whisk tracks in the cream). Add sugar and vanilla, and continue to whisk another minute or two until cream reaches peak stage (meaning it should form peaks when the whisk is pulled out of the mixture). Serve it up and be sure to turn the mixer off before attempting to lick the beater.