BitterSweet

Forget the cherry on top- What really counts is that fluffy cloud of sweet whipped cream below. Topping off sundaes, cakes, and pies perfectly, cutting through even the densest desserts, and adding that ephemeral kiss of sweetness that leaves you wanting more, there’s simply nothing like whipped cream. I for one missed that lovely white matrix of milk fat and bubbles dearly when I first went vegan, as it has proven to be one of those mysterious substances that doesn’t easily convert into a vegan alternative. Of course, great progress has been made in recent years, bringing us Hip Whip (although it seems that the company has since gone under, sadly) and Soyatoo, my current guilty pleasure. Still, there’s empty space on the grocery store shelves for a product that can actually be whipped, not just extruded from a can. If it were possible to whip vegan creme from the start, then the culinary possibilities would be endless…

Thankfully, I’m not the only one who thinks so, and First Foods from the UK has taken the initiative to create Oat Supreme, the very first heavy cream substitute that I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing for myself. Upon first exhuming the carton from that unassuming brown, cardboard packing box, I could scarcely contain my excitement, and quickly moved both it and my mixing bowl into the fridge so that my experimentation could begin asap. Of course, nowhere on the carton did it explicit say that it could be whipped, but with anxious optimism, I hoped against hope that this would be the answer to my whipped cream prayers.

Shaking up that little blue box a few hours later, I cut open the tab and unleashed a flood of thick, creamy white liquid, pouring it quickly into my chilled bowl. Having abstained from using heavy cream for so many years, I was actually quite surprised at how viscous it really was- Practically a ready-made sauce, it reminded me instantly of coconut milk, which might explain how coconut whipped creme is possible.

Getting right down to work, I cranked up my trusty mixer to its highest setting and let it rip. Barely five minutes had elapsed before I was staring straight into a bowl full of pillow soft whipped topping, at least doubled or tripled in volume!

Deceptively rich and heavy for such a light and fluffy composition, it was certainly a decadent way to top of any dessert. Tasting almost exactly like my beloved Soyatoo, it was the most I could do to restrain myself from eating it plain by the spoonful! After getting my fill of this delicious, creamy fluff, I decided to store it in the fridge overnight and see how it would hold up. Come daytime, there it all was, still perfectly whipped, and without even the slightest sign of separating! Not one to let this opportunity go to waste, I used to remnants to make a delightful mint chocolate chip semifreddo, which was eaten just as soon as it had solidified enough to be considered “semi-frozen.”

Of course, such a versatile product could also be used for countless other savory applications, such as cream sauces and gravies… Truly, I don’t think that there’s anything that Oat Supreme can’t do! If only I had more than one carton to play around with, and if only it were more readily available in the states… but alas, for now we must hope that American markets clear some shelf space for this miraculous product, and soon!

[Written for Go Dairy Free]