Cream is a commonly used ingredient in many dishes and pastries. This product varies in fat content, in appearance - fresh or pasteurized.
Where is it used?
On the basis of cream, a confectionery cream is prepared, which decorates cakes and pastries, smear cakes, fill the products from custard dough. In addition, there are many sauces and dressings. Cream soups are used to make cream soups, all kinds of casseroles and much more. And what can be replaced with cream?
When it comes to creating a dish, in particular a dessert, the ingredients are not always at hand. Going specifically to the store to purchase the missing one happens once, and its cost significantly exceeds the budget. And sometimes the product is simply not available on the shelves. In such cases, the use of an alternative is permissible without loss of palatability of the dish. Many recipes strongly recommend the use of clearly indicated ingredients. But in fact, many alternative products are no different. It turns out that the cost of many dishes can be reduced through the use of more affordable options.
First you need to distinguish between situations in which the use of cream is mandatory, and where you can safely take similar products. The exception is mainly special types of confectionery.
Replace cream
If you need to prepare a confectionery cream for baking, then you can safely replace the cream with sour cream. It is by no means worse than whipping, but you should be careful not to overdo it so as not to get oil. When done correctly, the result is a great taste. Ready-made condensed milk may also be an alternative. To it you need to add a little lemon juice. A cream of proteins and condensed milk is especially tasty. And with both this option it turns out pretty well to soak cakes or fill a confectionery product, for example, custard cakes.
In the case when you need to cook a souffle or, for example, a cake "Bird's milk", it is difficult to imagine what could be a substitute for cream. Especially if it is necessary to use their special form with a certain fat content of 33%. However, there is a solution. Sour cream of high fat content or thick natural yogurt with the addition of gelatin can help out. The crystals should be soaked, wait until they swell, and then add to the alternative ingredients. Then the mass should be distributed on the basis of the product, using a split mold. Also, replacement can be done with home cream. They beat quickly and have a high percentage of fat content.
Milk is a great alternative
Many amateur chefs often wonder if cream can be replaced with milk. After all, it costs much cheaper, and there are no cardinal differences to the taste. Here you need to look specifically for the recipe and its requirements. If you have to decorate a cake or fill, for example, profiteroles, then milk can really come in handy. It will need to be used to make a thick custard, adding other necessary ingredients. Cream can be replaced with pure milk, for example, in sauces.
At high temperature, it does not change the structure and has no differences in taste. The only difference is the percentage of fat content. Also, one of the options for sauces can be the classic "Bolognese". To do this, put butter on a hot pan, melt it, then sprinkle with flour and fry. When the mass acquires a golden hue, it should be diluted with milk. In this case, the opposite situation may arise when the whole sauce cannot be prepared according to the recipe.
Reverse replacement
And what can be replaced with cream? Let's figure it out. For example, the whole "Bolognese" can be replaced with cream of 15% with the addition of salt. In the same way, beaten egg yolks mixed with sour cream are sometimes added to julienne. This mix is easy to replace with liquid cream. At the same time, there is no need to fear that the sauce may curl at high temperature.
In the case of gourmet dishes, it is often necessary to replace the intricate ingredients with simpler ones. For example, Mascarpone cheese in Tiramisu's favorite dessert. Of course, there is an alternative to such a rare and expensive ingredient. And this is cottage cheese, mashed with fat cream.
There are many recipes where, for example, some exotic ingredient is used. One of these is coconut milk, on the basis of which a variety of soups are often prepared. This is exactly what can be replaced with cream with a percentage of fat up to 15 units. The exception is fully vegetarian dishes, the presence of animal proteins and fats in which is not allowed.
Conclusion
Now you know what can be replaced with cream. As you can see, there are many options. Therefore, carefully select the ingredients. Tasty experiments to you!