Creme de la creme

January 19, 2007 7:08 AM

The cream that floats to the top of non-homogenized milk is extremely heavy, almost as thick as butter. Is it sold separately?

If so, what is it called? It is far, far thicker than heavy cream. I want to mix it with jam and spread it on things. I discovered it when I poured a bottle of creamline milk, but there's just one small glop in a whole quart of milk and I don't want to get ten quarts of milk just to make a little bowl of blackberry supercream spread. Thanks!

posted by textilephile to Food & Drink (8 answers total)

Clotted cream? It is awesome spread on almost anything.
posted by uncleozzy at 7:14 AM on January 19, 2007 [1 favorite]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cream

Sounds like you're looking for a US supplier for double cream?
posted by Leon at 7:16 AM on January 19, 2007

Best answer: You're looking for Devon cream, basically. Find your local British-import food store. Should be able to buy it by the jar.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 7:23 AM on January 19, 2007

If you know a local, small scale dairy, they may be able to provide it for you. From what I've learned from my husband's cousin who owns his own small dairy, the type of cow will play a factor in the quality of the cream. Most milk we get here in the US comes from Holsteins which produce huge amounts of milk without a ton of fat in it. He raises American Milking Shorthorns which produce milk that is less in quantity but greater in fat content. As a result, the creme from his farm, and others which are similar, is of the quality you describe.
posted by onhazier at 7:35 AM on January 19, 2007 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thank you, dairy lovers! The Devon cream looks like just the thing. I can hardly wait to try it.
posted by textilephile at 9:32 AM on January 19, 2007

Best answer: It should show up in a many stores that have a gourmet or British section or a good cheese section, it is also called Devonshire cream and as others have pointed out clotted cream. Although sometimes called things like "Devon Double Cream," in general double cream is not quite the same thing, it is somewhere in thickness between whipping cream and clotted cream. Anglos spread it on scones and such.

Clotted cream is produced by a process that includes heating the milk so may be a bit different in taste than what separates out of your milk bottle. Here's wikipedia on the varieties of the creamy experience - as you'll see, what sets clotted cream apart is its 55-60% milk fat content, as opposed to 35% for whipping cream.
posted by nanojath at 9:52 AM on January 19, 2007

when i was young, eating it was the most disgusting concept you could imagine - yuck!
posted by growabrain at 9:24 PM on January 19, 2007

Just a follow-up thought, here: Mascarpone might be a reasonable substitute for clotted cream, at least for cooking. The texture and taste aren't that far off.
posted by Leon at 9:05 AM on January 22, 2007