Tip No: 8

I’ve noticed that there are two items that beginning pastry cooks invariably over-whip: cream and egg whites. For different reasons, overwhipping either of them can lead to a poorer-quality product. First, let’s talk about cream. If you grew up with ReddiWip, you know the firm, stiff, foamy stuff that comes out of the spout of the can. It looks like whipped cream and it says it is whipped cream, but it is nothing like properly whipped cream. Whipped cream should be, well, creamy. It should be light on your tongue, airy, and smooth. Overwhipping it changes the texture from something luscious to something that can mar your dessert with a stiff, lumpy mouthfeel. So don’t overwhip. Just whip your cream until it holds a soft peak and still looks soft and pillowy, unless otherwise instructed. (When you’re using whipped cream for decorating cakes or you are folding it into a stiff mixture like pastry cream, you need to whip it to a stiff peak.) If you go too far and it looks bumpy and rough, you can often rescue it by carefully folding in a few tablespoons of unwhipped cream. It should come back together into a smooth wonder.