Creme fraiche is pronounced ‘krem fresh’. It is a thick and smooth soured cream with a rich and velvety texture. This matured cream has a nutty, slightly sour taste produced by culturing pasteurized cream with a special bacteria. (In France, where it originated, the cream is unpasteurized so it naturally contains the bacteria necessary to make creme fraiche.)
You will find every brand of creme fraiche tastes a little differently and that is because there is no set standard for making this cream and the butterfat content does vary (although it is usually around 30%).
Recipe for Creme Fraiche
Yield: about 1 cup
Ingredients:
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup of buttermilk
Directions:
Combine whipping cream and buttermilk in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, until thickened.
Stir gently. Cover and refrigerate. Use within 1 week. The creme fraiche will thicken further when chilled.
For a dessert topping, stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla and sweeten with icing sugar to taste.
