I'm tied up working on a volunteer project so I went back in my archives and got this post from 2008. I only had a few followers at the time so it's new to most of you.
What can I say about the blessings of Cool Whip? There it sits in the
fridge in it's pristine blue and white container--so easily accessible. You can dip a strawberry at a moment's notice; you can
drop a dab on your chocolate pudding cup, peaches or Jello, then sit
back and revel in the sensuality of it all.
Back in the "pre-Cool Whip" days, having a creamy, fluffy white topping on your dessert was a luxury reserved for special occasions like having company or Sunday dinner. It required planning ahead and precise timing.
First, you had to remember to buy the whipping cream. You had to keep it cold in the refrigerator and keep the family from sneaking it into their coffee. Then, when you made your special meal (probably mashed potatoes with chicken or roast beef) you had to remember to wash the mashed potatoes off the beaters right away. If you forgot, the dried-on potatoes would screw up the timing to the point of desperation. So, you had the beaters clean, the bowl and mixer at the ready, the cream on standby chilling in the fridge.
You could now sit down to eat dinner with your guests or family but, when the dinner started winding down, you had to jump up to make the whipped cream. (If you whipped the cream too far ahead of time, it would "weep"and collapse.) After you put the chilled cream into a deep bowl, you could start the process.
If you had an electric mixer it didn't take too long but it required concentration. The tricky part was to whip the cream to just the right consistency without doing it too little or too much. Too little, and you wind up with sloppy topping or, too much, you have extra stiff topping larded with bits of butter.
After you had achieved the optimum of beautiful fluffiness, you added the sugar and vanilla. If all went as planned, it was ready to serve at this point. The servings of dessert (say pumpkin pie) had to be lined up and the piece de resistance--a dollop of whipped cream would be lovingly placed on top and then trotted to the dinner table immediately.
The memory of it leaves me breathless!
15 comments:
I may have had Cool Whip a time or two, but these days, when dessert calls for it, I actually whip the cream myself.
Yes, I am a relic!
Haven't whipped cream in several decades, but do remember the glory of "real" whipped cream.
what are the ingredients of cool whip, most of the processed foods make me ill, sorry but I am trying to eat only naturally occurring foods.
Well there was Rediwhip turn too but cool whip works for me. I'm curious how you know my childhood neighborhood so well. It's been a long time and I hardly recognize my old haunts anymore. Woodbury, Mounds Park, The First National downtown is where my dad worked...:)
My son used to eat Cool Whip by the spoonful... didn't bother with the pie or anything else.
I used to love whipped cream but always found the process of shaking the cow for two hours to be quite tiresome. I'm a custard man now, which means that all I have to do is shake Cook up and down until she agrees that some sort of pudding is necessary.
I'd love a slice of that pie, if there is any left, and I don't mind whether it is served with Cool Whip, Cream, Ice Cream, or Custard.
I like to create things with a Cool Whip base, but I whip heavy cream to top my pies. What can I say, I'm a product of the 50s!! XOXO
I've never had Cool Whip - probably it's not sold over here
Bob: You are what I'd call a topping purist--only the real stuff will do!
Carol: Yeah, even the whipped cream in spray cans doesn't really taste like it.
Linda Starr: The label says it contains corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, coconut and palm kernel oils and a bunch of unpronounceable additives. I mainly have a problem with the palm oil because the proliferation of palm tree farms is causing a lot of habitat destruction for endangered animals. It's becoming a huge problem. I hope manufacturers will find a better source of vegetable oil products soon!
Troutbirder: Rediwhip has a short shelf life and there's just not enough in a can. I have a friend who works at Dayton's Bluff school so I've gotten to know that neighborhood. I also wrote a story about a girl living in Swede Hollow in the early 1900's so I did some research about the early 20th century. Like most things I start, I never finished the story.
Essay: It was a joke in our family that the amount of Cool Whip should equal the amount of the dessert.
Owl: I'm sure the cow appreciates your change in topping preferences. I'm surprised the process took two hours however, I should think you could produce cottage cheese in that amount of time!
Elaine: I've never had custard topping. I wonder about the consistency, is it runny or thickened like pudding?
Susan: That's yet another benefit of Cool Whip. It will hold up in desserts where whipped cream will collapse. I also like that I can keep a tub in the freezer and pull it out when I need it with just a few hours notice.
Crafty: When I last posted this, Barbara Blundell who lives in NW Lancashire on the Fylde Coast said she had never heard of it either.
I grew up with Cool Whip, as my mother used it a lot, but I must be honest in saying that it has been a very long time since I have had it. Perhaps your post has encouraged me to get some.
You have described it so well, or rather build up the anticipation of eating it the right way.
Yes the packing is also great with those contrasting colours.
Cool whip has never been our choice of topping.
I guess we are spoiled for life : only the real stuff is good enough to top our desserts!
Have never had a problem with whipping the cream either.
I grew up on Cool Whip and always have a carton in the freezer. I love a bit of the "real stuff" too but the kids prefer Cool Whip.
xo jj
Yum yum yummy.
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