Step into the whimsical world of clotted cream, where the cream is thick, the traditions are British, and the results are purely delicious! You might be wondering, “What on earth is clotted cream?” Well, imagine the love child of butter and whipped cream that decided to take a long, luxurious nap in the oven. That’s clotted cream for you!
Several years ago, while working for my previous Finnish company, we had the wild idea to introduce this delightful dairy delicacy to the Finnish market. Armed with a passion for creamy confections and a determination to conquer new culinary frontiers, I set out to develop the perfect clotted cream recipe. And let me tell you, it was an adventure filled with creamy chaos and delicious discoveries!
In this blog post, I’ll share with you the very recipe that started it all—an easy-to-follow, foolproof guide to making clotted cream right in your own kitchen. So, grab your aprons, preheat your ovens, and get ready to embark on a creamy escapade that will leave your taste buds begging for more. Trust me, your keto scones will never be the same again!
Clotted Cream FAQ: Everything You Never Knew You Needed to Know
Welcome to the Clotted Cream FAQ, where I answer all your burning questions about this creamy delight—whether you’re curious about its culinary uses or wondering if it can fix a broken heart. Dive in and discover everything you never knew you needed to know about clotted cream!
What exactly is clotted cream?
Clotted cream is like the sophisticated cousin of whipped cream and butter. It’s thick, rich, and perfect for slathering on keto-friendly scones, carnivore pancakes, or even straight from the spoon when no one is looking. A dollop of keto jam makes your creations even more delish!
Is it difficult to make clotted cream at home?
Not at all! It’s one of the easiest ever recipes. If you can pour cream into a dish and turn on an oven, you’re halfway there. The hardest part is waiting the 12 hours while it transforms into creamy perfection.
Can I use any type of cream?
You’ll need heavy cream without carrageenan. UHT cream won’t work for this recipe, and make sure your cream has at least 35% fat. Think of it as the VIP section of the dairy aisle. Only the best for your clotted cream!
What do I do with the leftover whey?
Don’t throw it away! Use it in keto baking, add it to protein shakes, or mix it into a savory carnivore soup. It adds a subtle richness to recipes. Personally, I love to drink the whey as is—it’s a refreshing and indulgent treat!
Can I speed up the process by turning the oven temperature higher?
Ah, the impatience of the modern cook! Unfortunately, clotted cream is a slow-and-steady-wins-the-race kind of deal. Higher temperatures will just leave you with a sad, brown mess that tastes pungent (been there, done that!).
What if my clotted cream doesn’t set properly?
If your clotted cream is runny, it might be because your cream had stabilizers or the oven temperature was off. But hey, even if it’s not perfect, you can use it as a regular cream. Serve it with a smile as you would regular cream.
Can I make clotted cream in a slow cooker?
Yes, you can! Just set it on low for 12 hours, and voilà! You’ve got clotted cream with minimal effort and maximum reward.
Can I use clotted cream in savory dishes?
Absolutely! Clotted cream tastes neutral, so, it’s versatile. Try it on grilled meats, in soups, or as a luxurious addition to scrambled eggs. It’s a carnivore’s dream come true!
Is it okay to eat clotted cream by the spoonful?
If you are a true carnivore, it’s a must! Sometimes, a spoonful of clotted cream is just what the day needs.
How long does clotted cream last?
If you don’t have a huge crowd to serve—or can resist devouring it all in one sitting—clotted cream will keep in the fridge for up to a week. But let’s be honest, it won’t last that long. I know you have plenty of use for it!
Can clotted cream be used to glue things together?
While clotted cream is thick and creamy, it’s not quite sticky enough to replace glue. However, it’s excellent at holding together layers of delicious keto desserts!
Can clotted cream fix a broken heart?
While clotted cream can’t mend a broken heart, it can certainly provide comfort. Enjoy a spoonful (or two) while binge-watching your favorite shows—it’s the next best thing to a hug.
What’s the weirdest way to use clotted cream?
I once heard of someone using it as a hair conditioner. While I can’t vouch for the results, I can guarantee you’ll smell creamy!
Enjoy your clotted cream adventures, and remember, there’s no wrong way to enjoy this decadent, carnivore and keto-friendly delight!
Step-by-Step Instructions for Clotted Cream
First, preheat your oven to a toasty 60°C (that’s 140°F for our non-metric friends).
Pour 1 liter (1 qt) of carrageenan-free heavy cream (at least 35% fat) into a 20 cm x 20 cm (8-inch) baking dish.
Here we go.
Pop the dish into the oven and let it take a loooong and cozy nap for 12 hours.
After 12 hours—not before—carefully remove the dish from the oven and let the cream cool to room temperature. Once cool, tuck the dish into the fridge for another 12 hours.
Retrieve the now-cold dish from the fridge.
Underneath the thick, luscious layer of cream, you’ll find some whey. Gently lift the cream with a spoon.
It’s pretty liquid—just like whey is.
Pour off the whey. Save it for baking, protein shakes, or just drink it straight up if you’re in need of some extra refreshment.
Voilà! Your clotted cream is ready.
Slather it on carnivore and keto-friendly treats, or just enjoy it by the spoonful. You’ve earned it!
The Creamy Quest: From Clotted Cream Dreams to Mousse Adventures
It all started back in 2019 when I was roped into starting a keto company with a few adventurous souls. Our CEO had just returned from the UK, utterly smitten with clotted cream. He thought, “Why not bring this creamy delight to the Finnish market?”
Now, I had only tasted clotted cream once in my life, way back in 1991 during a language course in the UK. I enjoyed it the traditional way, with tea, scones, and jam (I wasn’t keto then, but I was a vegetarian).
Honestly, I could barely remember what it tasted like, but I accepted the challenge to develop the perfect clotted cream recipe.
After swimming through gallons of cream and conducting a series of more-or-less successful experiments, I finally nailed it. I learned that the oven temperature has to be low enough and that the cream needs a solid 12 hours in the oven (not easy for an impatient person like me!).
Armed with this newfound knowledge, we embarked on a journey to Eastern Finland to a small town called Lieksa, home to a dairy company named Lieksan laatuherkut. (You can see photos of this trip in this blog post.)
Before we even set foot in Lieksa, the company had already poured 1,000 liters (264.2 gallons) of fresh heavy cream into a gigantic steel tank and heated it for 12 hours upon our request.
However, with that much cream in such a massive tank, cooling it down was like trying to chill a hot tub with an ice cube. It would have taken days, giving germs and bacteria plenty of time to throw a wild party in our cream. So, we had to switch gears.
We drained off some whey that had developed at the bottom of the tank and mixed in raspberry and rhubarb puree along with a bit of stevia powder into the thickened cream.
Next, we transferred the mixture into a machine that whipped it into a mousse. We packed this mousse into small containers typically used for paskha. Surprisingly, the mousse tasted fantastic!
The CEO and I took our mousse to a large local grocery store and offered it to shoppers. Even though it wasn’t very sweet, people loved it. Unfortunately, we never managed to bring the clotted cream or the mousse to market, but we gained invaluable experience and had some great adventures!
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, I was in Glasgow for the New Year. We bought some clotted cream, and I thought, “Why not share the recipe I developed on my blog?”
Alas, I couldn’t find my notes anywhere. None. Zero. Nada. And I always write down every experiment I conduct! So, I had to rely on my memory and dig out the recipe from the depths of my brain.
I succeeded, and here is my easy recipe for delicious clotted cream for you to enjoy:
Clotted Cream: My Secret Recipe Revealed
Step into the whimsical world of clotted cream, where the cream is thick, the traditions are British, and the results are purely delicious! You might be wondering, "What on earth is clotted cream?" Well, imagine the love child of butter and whipped cream that decided to take a long, luxurious nap in the oven. That's clotted cream for you!
Several years ago, while working for my previous Finnish company, we had the wild idea to introduce this delightful dairy delicacy to the Finnish market. Armed with a passion for creamy confections and a determination to conquer new culinary frontiers, I set out to develop the perfect clotted cream recipe. And let me tell you, it was an adventure filled with creamy chaos and delicious discoveries!
In this blog post, I’ll share with you the very recipe that started it all—an easy-to-follow, foolproof guide to making clotted cream right in your own kitchen. So, grab your aprons, preheat your ovens, and get ready to embark on a creamy escapade that will leave your taste buds begging for more. Trust me, your keto scones will never be the same again!
Ingredients
- 1 liter (1 quarter) of carrageenan-free heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 60°C (140°F).
- Pour the cream into a 20 cm x 20 cm (8-inch) baking dish.
- Place the dish in the oven and let it sit there for 12 hours.
- After 12 hours, remove the dish from the oven and let the cream cool to room temperature.
- Place the dish in the fridge for 12 hours.
- Take the cold dish out of the fridge.
- Underneath the thick layer of cream, there will be whey that needs to be removed. Gently lift the thick cream layer from the edge of the dish with a spoon and carefully pour off the whey. Save it for baking, protein shakes, or smoothies.
- Once the whey is removed, your clotted cream is ready to use. Enjoy it with keto-friendly baked goods and keto jam—or just on its own.
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Quick(er) Clotted Cream Recipe
If you’re in a hurry and can’t wait 24+ hours for traditional clotted cream, this quick recipe is for you! By combining heavy cream and unsalted butter and letting it simmer down, you should achieve a deliciously rich clotted cream without whey. (While it didn’t quite succeed for me, you might have better luck.) Just follow these simple steps and see if you can create the perfect clotted cream without the wait!
Ingredients:
1 liter (1 quart) heavy cream
3 tablespoons (1.6 oz or 45 g) unsalted butter
Instructions:
1. Combine the heavy cream and unsalted butter in a large, shallow saucepan. (The shallower the saucepan, the quicker your clotted cream should be ready.)
2. Let the mixture simmer uncovered over medium heat until it is reduced by half. This should take about 30 minutes.
3. Transfer the reduced mixture into a glass or ceramic dish.
4. Allow it to cool down to room temperature.
5. Once cooled, place the dish in the refrigerator and chill for 12 hours.
In theory, this method should yield perfect clotted cream without any whey.
However, when I tried this recipe, I ended up with a lumpy and runny mess (image below). Maybe I didn’t reduce the cream enough? If you give this method a shot and have better luck, let me know!
General Prattling
So, you might remember that I’ve been threatened with a €15,000 fine by the local Tampere food safety authority for committing the heinous crime of sharing on my Finnish page how I healed myself with the keto diet. According to them, that’s false marketing of food (yes, you can start shaking your head now). They’ve asked me to remove it several times, but I’ve refused because it limits my free speech.
In November, they decided to up the ante and threatened me with a €15,000 fine if I didn’t take down the text. This week, I consulted an experienced lawyer, but to my surprise, he was more on their side than mine! He insisted that I at least change the text, if not remove it entirely.
Well, I figured I could tweak the text myself without his help. Then I had an even better idea: to show the local authority here how the rules are different in other parts of the country. Namely, I was able to write pretty freely on my previous company’s, Ketokamu’s, pages (the one with which we wanted to bring clotted cream to the Finnish market).
So, I removed my personal experience, which they deemed illegal:
“I have tackled a variety of health issues with a ketogenic diet, including migraines, depression, panic disorder, eating disorders (anorexia and bulimia), joint pain, debilitating gastrointestinal problems, and hormonal symptoms (such as PMS).”
And replaced it with this text, which I had written for my previous company in 2022 and was approved by the North Karelian authority:
“Research and personal accounts have shown that the ketogenic diet provides almost astonishing benefits for conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, neurological diseases, mental health issues, and even certain types of cancer. Anecdotal evidence suggests that there are hundreds of different conditions that can be positively influenced by a ketogenic diet.”
In a nutshell, I replaced my existing text with an even “worse” text!
In my response to the local authority, I linked to the text on the Ketokamu page and mentioned that it was approved by the North Karelian authority. Moreover, the Tampere authority has always emphasized that the law is the same for all food companies across Finland, so I referred to that and said I expect them to approve the text as well.
A few hours later, I got a reply from them thanking me for my response and saying they’d get back to me soon. It will be very interesting to see what their final decision is and if they don’t allow the text that another authority has approved without any problems!
Wonderful recipe, will try very soon. My daughter and I love clotted cream every year we go back to visit the UK and really miss it. I didn’t know how it could be made and am now really excited. It’s great to hear your story about trying to bring it to the Finnish market. On a side note, I’ve been making my own Brit style pork scratchings, here for years with silava, but It’s hard to find good sources of it in Finland, would love to see these products on the shelves here.
Great work on the blog, it’s really important to share health science and create a bigger voice against these ‘protectors of nutrition info nonsense’ trying to block anything they can’t understand from their small closed mindsets.
Thank you so much for your comment, Stephen! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe and story. Thanks for your support on my work. By the way, I sell additive-free pork rinds in my Finnish online store (I know they are not exactly like pork scratchings), so in case you are interested, I’ll provide you with the link.
Please share, see you sell tallow, what about lard and pork rinds? these are easy to find in the UK, but not so easy to bring back now with the flight restrictions. Thanks
Here’s the link to the pork rinds: https://ellinkeittio.fi/products/delvita-possunaksut-pork-rinds-lisaaineettomat-125-g
Unfortunately, I’m currently running out of them, but I hope to get a new delivery within a few weeks.
I don’t have lard, but I make organic grass-fed tallow and Highlander cattle tallow which I sell.
It’s a pity that they have the flight restrictions again!
Happy New Year Elviira! What a wonderful recipe for my winter months, thank you!
Your strategic response to the ignorant/comprised local authorities is exemplary and inspiring. Wishing you sweet success with that, and may Finland thrive with free speech and traditional health freedom. The world needs self-healing stories, resources, and coaching!
Thank you so much! Happy New Year to you too! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. Your kind words about my work mean a lot. Wishing you all the best and happy cooking!
Oh, Happy New Year….
Oh, I want to prepare the clotted cream so badly.
However, our Canadian grocery stores do not carry Organic 35%
Only 10% organic cream is available to me.
But I will keep searching.
Wonderful recipe, as always, Elviira.
Happy New Year, Gladys! I hope you find decent cream—clotted cream is so delish!