Gluten Free Vanilla Cream

Ingredients

Technically custard is made with eggs, pudding isn’t. That makes the base of this recipe vanilla pudding, but it gets transformed into a light, silky smooth treat, by folding in freshly whipped cream.

• Sugar - Rather than experiment with lower glycemic sugars I cook with white sugar and try to limit the amount of sugary things I eat.

• Cornstarch and sweet rice flour - I did a head-to-head comparison with cornstarch alone vs cornstarch with sweet rice flour. See the results below.

• Milk - 2% is the milk most often in my fridge so I made this recipe using it. You can perfect this recipe using what you typically have in your fridge.

• Vanilla - Essential to live up to the name of this recipe. It is an expensive ingredient so it's up to you if you want to use real vanilla extract or artificial vanilla.

• Whipping cream - I use real cream that you whip. Nothing that comes in a spray can for this recipe.

See recipe card for full ingredient list and exact amounts.

Instructions

Don't over whisk the custard base. Stir frequently and watch as the sauce thickens. Over whisking can break a sauce made with cornstarch. Once it becomes a watery mess there's no going back. Simply allow the heat to thicken the sauce and gently whisk as it thickens. Whisking around the entire base of the potcreates a smooth sauce and prevents burning on the bottom of the pan.

Substitutions: Cornstarch vs Sweet Rice Flour for Thickening

Cornstarch is commonly used to thicken gravy, sauces and creamy desserts but gluten free cooks like to learn their options for the many types of recipes you'll make. My original recipe was made with a combination of wheat flour and cornstarch. I wanted to know how it would turn out with cornstarch alone compared to cornstarch with sweet rice flour. Here’s what I found.

Cornstarch and sweet rice flour - This combination made a more firm vanilla cream that would hold up in a tart shell. It did require extra beating to soften the base before adding the whipped cream, but for me the taste was exactly the same.

Cornstarch Alone - Made with cornstarch only the vanilla cream was silky smooth but a bit softer. It would be ideal to serve in a dish but would run out of a pastry shell when cut. You can definitely serve it in individual tart shells that people typically eat in one or two bites.

Variations

Valentine's Variation - Red fruit is perfect for a Valentine's dessert and individual portions can be served in tiny liqueur glasses or larger martini glasses. Serve a heart shaped sugar cookie on the side for a romantic dessert.

Summer Variation - Serve vanilla cream in small tart shells, decorate with fresh berries and any of these colourful edible flowers (click to see the list).

Holiday Variation - In December fill a full size tart shell with vanilla cream and decorate with orange segments and pomegranate arils for an impressive dessert. Although not seasonal kiwi slices and fresh raspberries are a nice red and green combination.

Storage

The base vanilla pudding, before the whipping cream is folded in, can be made 1-2 days in advance. The actual Vanilla Cream is best served the day the whipped cream is folded into it. Do not let the leftovers go to waste. Taste it daily until it's all gone and you can decide how long it will last in the fridge. That's what food bloggers do.

Get The Tools

Learn to transform your tried-and-true recipes into gourmet desserts. Before you buy new dishes, check the back of your upper cupboards and get creative with the dishes you seldom use. For large parties you can make a gorgeous display with a variety of different dishes.

• Spoon vanilla cream over fresh berries in regular wine glasses, stemless wine glasses or martini glasses.
• For a casual, outdoor party serve vanilla cream in tiny Mason Jars with a fruit platter on the side.
• Another popular idea is to serve vanilla cream in shot glasses or small square dishes with a single berry on top. Buy these tiny spoons, real spoons or disposable spoons. I sometimes see them at the Dollar store or hanging in a grocery store aisle somewhere.
• Fill a pre-baked tart shell with vanilla cream, top with fresh berries and brush with a glaze of melted jelly, with a splash of liqueur if desired. Garnish with edible flowers for a show-stopping dessert.