Cold heavy cream whisked by hand in a chilled bowl with a little sweetener and vanilla until soft peaks form.
Ingredients
1pint(2 cups/16 ounces) of heavy whipping cream (raw and/or organic and grass-fed if you can)
2-4tablespoons(1/8-1/4 cup) of real maple syrup or powdered sugar
1tablespoonof vanilla extract (optional)
Tools: large metal mixing bowl and wire whisk, both chilled; or an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with chilled bowl and whisk
Directions
Make the mix
Put the bowl and whisk in the freezer for at least 20 minutes. Keep the cream cold until you use it.
By hand
Pour the cream into the cold bowl and whisk quickly and without stopping for several minutes, until it is twice as thick.
Gently fold in the sweetener and vanilla. Whisk for another minute; taste and adjust.
Keep whisking fast until soft peaks form. Test: hold the whisk upside down over the bowl; if the cream stays firm and does not move, it is done.
Do not overwhip, or it turns into butter (that takes several more minutes). By hand, it takes about 5-10 minutes in all.
With a mixer
Mix on speed 2 for about 30 seconds.
Move to speed 4 or 5 for about 3 minutes, or until it is twice as thick.
Stop, gently fold in the sweetener and vanilla, then taste and adjust. Mix for another minute on speed 4, then stop.
Begin on low and work up to speed 5 or 6, whipping for 2-3 more minutes, until soft peaks form (same whisk test).
Stay with it; overwhipping turns it into butter.
Notes
Use immediately, or store tightly covered in the coldest part of the fridge (the back); keeps 2-3 days before going liquidy. Freezing untested. Safety: raw cream carries a risk of harmful bacteria.