Whipped cream

Today, January 5th, is National Whipped Cream Day.  Now, I have to admit that many times we designate days for silly things in this world.  Then again, perhaps I'm not being sensitive enough to those persons to whom those "silly things" are important.  Someone might say designating a day as National Whipped Cream Day is silly..... but I love whipped cream!  However, I have to admit I also think it's a bit silly to have a day for it.  But this world can use all sorts of silly and frivolous things to help us deal with all the heavier and tragic things that occur every day.  So onward with National Whipped Cream Day!

This day happens to be the birthday of Aaron Lapin whose nickname was "Bunny".  Lapin invented Reddi-Whip in 1948.  Prior to that he had already invented a whipped cream substitute using vegetable oil.  But then he worked in tandem with Aaron Block to come up with Reddi-Whip, pressured real cream in a can with nitrous oxide.  And of course we still see it in our stores today.

I have cream in my refrigerator constantly, so I really never have a reason to buy a can of whipped cream or one of the non-dairy substitutes that are available.  When I whip cream, sometimes I will do it with a mixer and whisk attachment, and sometimes I will just do it by hand.  No matter what, though, I always chill the bowl and the whisk, an important tip for those who whip their own cream.  

I love flavoring whipped creams as well, especially with something like a sweetened raspberry juice reduction or a bit of almond extract.  And to be honest, I find you can put whipped cream on just about any desert or fruit and it works.  Nothing is quite so luscious and delectable.  One thing I've never been able to do is put whipped cream on granita.  I love making granita, especially with melon.  And it seems every time I see a granita recipe, the suggestion is also there that whipped cream will be great with it.  But I've tried and it just doesn't work for me.  So there's a sweet dessert to which I will not add whipped cream.  But for everything else, add a dollop of smooth creamy cold whipped cream, and I am a happy person.  Happy National Whipped Cream Day everyone!