Skyr Is The Secret Ingredient For Tangier Whipped Cream

Who doesn't love a creamy dessert with a scoop of whipped cream? Home cooks willing to make their own whipped cream should be sure to grab a container of skyr. After all, it's the secret ingredient that amps up the flavor and texture of whipped cream in subtle but delicious ways.

Many people may not be familiar with skyr, an Icelandic creation somewhere between yogurt and fresh cheese (like ricotta). The presence of rennet distinguishes it from the more familiar Greek yogurt, as does the use of skim milk instead of yogurt's full-fat milk. 

All you need to do to integrate skyr into whipped cream is, well, whip your cream as usual until it produces stiff peaks. Then, mix in the skyr on low speed. You can vary the amount to your taste and needs, with less skyr making a lighter topping closer to traditional whipped cream and more skyr creating a heavier cream with extra tang and stronger flavor.

To create skyr, producers heat skim milk from a cow and add skyr culture, a mixture of rennet and live bacteria. It's then allowed to ferment for a handful of hours as it transforms from a loose, liquid substance to firm, velvety skyr, which is then strained for an even more solid consistency. Skyr makers often add a little bit of other sweet ingredients to create a ready-to-eat treat that can also pull double duty as a tangy dessert ingredient.

This more substantial skyr whipped cream can be used to improve a variety of sweet treats. One of the easiest is simple berries and skyr cream, a deliciously fresh and relatively nutritious snack. Other options include strawberry shortcake, a variety of trifles, and tres leches cake. More adventurous bakers can even use it as a filling for homemade cream puffs or cannoli. Ultimately, it's versatile enough to accompany nearly any dessert, scooped on top, from chocolate cake to apple pie. With such easy prep and delicious flavor, you may find it's the new go-to topping for sweet treat lovers everywhere.