Homemade whipped cream is the ideal garnish for almost any dessert, not only does it taste great, its fluffy white peaks make it ideal for presentation. To garnish two to three portions, you will need one cup of heavy cream, a couple of tablespoons of white granulated sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
There are two methods of whipping the cream, the most common/conventional method employed in non-commercial is use is to hand whip/whisk the cream (this mixes/dissolves atmospheric gas into the cream, more specifically nitrous oxide, to give the whipped affect): To do this at home, you will need a large sifter, a metal bowl and a whisk (preferably one with metal wires)... For best results, you should leave the cream in the fridge overnight... Begin by pouring the heavy cream into a metal bowl and mixing, you may want to use an electric hand mixer to save some energy. Simply continue whisking until the cream forms 'fluffy white peaks', the process should take ten to fifteen minutes dependent upon how fast you are whipping. Be careful not to over whip the cream, this will cause it to separate (giving it a grainy, unappetising appearance and if you really overdo it, you'll end up with butter!).
A far more efficient way of whipping the cream is to use pressurised nitrous oxide contained in small steel cylinders (often referred to as cream chargers or whippets). You will need a 'cream whipper' which can be purchased online along with the chargers (whipper prices range from £20 up to £150, for home use you shouldn't need to spend more than £20). The cream whipper usually has a 0.5 or 1 litre chamber in which you can place your cream and a mechanism to de-pressurize the nitrous oxide from its steel capsule into the chamber. Nitrous oxide is extremely fat soluble, meaning it will quickly migrate into the cream within a pressurised environment. You will need roughly two eight gramme whipped cream chargers to whip half a cup of cream.
Once you cream is whipped, pour in the vanilla essence and use the sifter to add the sugar. Leave in the fridge until you are ready to use (you should consume the cream within 24 hours).
Enjoy!