Types of Cream

When cooking with cream, the recipe might state one thing and when you go shopping you are left wondering if you are buying the right kind.

When a recipe states whipping cream, you will most likely find heavy cream at the store. It is the same thing.

However, heaving whipping cream and ultra-pasteurized heavy whipping cream is not the same.
Ultra-pasteurized cream has been heated to a higher temperature to keep it fresher longer.
It is fine for recipes that are cooked, such as an Alfredo sauce.
But, if you intend to whip the cream, use regular pasteurized.
The ultra-pasteurized will give the whipped cream a cooked taste and it will also take longer to whip.

If you have a recipe that calls for heavy cream-for cooking, not for whipping- and you don't have any on hand you may use 3/4 cup milk plus 1/4 cup butter for every cup the recipe calls for.
You can also use 2/3 cup evaporated milk.

Half and half is simply half milk and half cream.

To make your own just use half milk/half cream.
You can also use 7/8 cup milk plus 3 Tablespoons butter or 1/2 cup evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup milk for every cup you need.

Light cream, also known as single cream, can be hard to locate depending on where you live.
So, if you can't find that, use half and half.