Thursday, January 5, 2017

Cheers For National Whipped Cream Day

Who doesn't love whipped cream? It tops so many different desserts and dishes, from a dollop atop an ice cream sundae to a mound atop a Belgian waffle. You'll find it atop hot chocolate and frappes, creme brûlée and bread pudding. I'm certainly a huge fan of whipped cream, especially home-made, though I won't turn down almost any type.

Today, let us celebrate National Whipped Cream Day, giving even more love to this tasty treat! I have done some research but been unable to pin down the exact origin of this day. But it may be related to Aaron Lapin, the creator of canned whipped cream.

January 5 is Lapin's birthday and he was born in 1914 in St. Louis. Known as Bunny (as "lapin" means "rabbit" in French), he was originally a clothes salesman but got into the food industry in the 1940s. He started selling Sta-Whip, a wartime substitute for whipping cream, and eventually put whipped cream into a new type of aerosol canister and called his product, Reddi-wip. Reddi-wip was first sold through local milkmen but it went national in 1954 and is still available today.

Reddi-Wip has been in the news recently, the center of a whipped cream shortage. Reddi-Wip cans rely on nitrous oxide and last August, there was an explosion of a nitrous oxide tanker in Florida, killing a man, Jesse Graham Folmar, who was filling the tanker. The plant had to be shut down, leading to a shortage of nitrous oxide, with current stocks going first to medical customers with lesser amounts to food customers. In November, production of Reddi-Wipp was ceased and it was hoped that production would restart around the middle of this month.

You might have difficulty finding Reddi-Wip right now, but you could always make your own whipped cream. It isn't that difficult and still is an excellent way to celebrate today's holiday. Here are four ways from the Pioneer Woman to make whipped cream.

What is your favorite dessert which has whipped cream on it?

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