double cream

[amy]

Has anyone found anything that is similar or the same as double cream as i've tried most craem without any luck?

[Cat]

Depends what you want to use it for Amy.

For pouring purposes, I find that creme-liquide (UHT cream that comes in a little box, often sold in packs of 3) can be whipped to a double cream type thickness if you chill it, and the bowl you're going to use, overnight in the fridge beforehand.

If you want something thicker (to top a trifle or a pavlova for example) then whipping in a sachet of fixe-chantilly does the trick, and you get a fairly sturdy creme that can stand up in peaks. You can find fixe-chantilly in the same rayon as cake baking materials, it comes in a box about the same size as a pack of swan vestas

When using creme-liquid I always add just a little sugar and a drop of vanilla essence to improve the flavour.

[Coco]

I'm about to make my favourite Delia Christmas ice cream which needs 15 fl oz of double cream.  Will the creme fluide be OK for this? 

[Teamedup]

For the first time in many years I have been using double cream. I daresay Normandy shops might have some somewhere that isn't creme fraiche proper, but I have NEVER managed to buy anything in France that is like double cream even my favourite elle et vire creme liquide is not as unctuous.

[Will]

This is something that comes up fairly often on various France forums including this one, so as a resident in the heart of France's cow pasture here is my two centimes worth.

For many purposes those small cardboard packets of 'cream' (Elle et Vire and similar makes), or Fleurette (sold in plastic bottle-like containers) are perfectly OK.

Unless you are able to get cream by separating it from the milk straight from the cow, you will not find a direct equivalent to English cream in France. The French favour crême fraiche, which is a bit like the soured cream you find in Britain. The cream is treated to give it that slightly tangy flavour. The good news is that the degree of treatment varies considerably, and some creams are much less tangy than others.

A variation on the same theme is crême cru. Some people will tell you that this is untreated cream; unfortunately not so, it is merely a version of crême fraiche made with unpasteurised milk. But the less-flavoured versions of this are very close indeed to English thick double cream. Unfortunately, outside the dairy-producing areas of France, like Normandy, they are very hard to find.

The best bet is at a local market. Or look in the shops for crême fraiche or, better still, crême cru, from small local producers. Here in South Manche there is an excellent one, practically indistinguishable from double cream, available in Leclerc, in a plain white tub, from a producer at St-Pair-sur-Mer near Granville. But as far as I know it is only stocked in two or three stores.

I hope this helps.

[Mayennaise]

Will, is that the Leclerc in St Hilaire?

[Opalienne]

For ice cream,. creme fraiche is fine and if there is sugar in the recipe you won't taste the difference

[Will]

[quote user="Mayennaise"]Will, is that the Leclerc in St Hilaire?[/quote]

That is one of the stores that sells it, I believe it is also available in Avranches and Granville.

Do look for similar local products in other shops, I believe there is something similar from Flers sold in supermarkets in Vire.

[Liz]

I have found what appears to be double cream in markets, from small producers,  and the BIO shop by asking for Vraie Creme.  Having said that the last time I asked in the local BIO co-op the assistant totally denied that the stuff existed although I know I have bought it there in the past.

Liz

[JulieR]

I have found that a good subsitute is the UHT creme entier sold in

small square boxes but I have to say the Champion and Carrefour own

brands are much closer in taste  than makes such as elle & vie

as this tastes very 'UHT' if you know what I mean.

Used to make icecream with creme fraise and kids liked it but then made

it with creme entier and this was voted the best yet.  Aslo went

on top of the trifle at Christmas with no complaints. Tried icecream

with the elle & vie and no-one will eat it!!!

Julie