Italian Cream

Ingredients

• 2 pints cream
• 6 oz powdered loaf sugar
• 2 large lemons lemon juice
• 2 glassfuls white wine
• 2 oz isinglass or gelatine
• 4 small teacupfuls water

Method

This is a set cream — gelatine suspends whipped dairy to trap air and create a mousse-like texture. The acid and wine destabilise the cream's fat structure, so you need to whip the first batch alone, then fold in the flavoured cream to preserve the foam you've built.

Whip 600 ml of the cream to soft peaks — the whisk should leave a trail that holds for a second before collapsing. The fat globules are trapping air; stop before hard peaks, which signals you've broken the emulsion and begun splitting. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining 600 ml of cream with the caster sugar (60 g, roughly), lemon juice (from 2 lemons, about 100 ml), and white wine (240 ml). This mixture will thicken slightly as the acid denatures the proteins, but it won't hold peaks — that's correct. The acidity is the point. Fold this flavoured cream into the whipped batch in two additions, using a spatula and rotating the bowl rather than stirring downward. Overworking collapses the foam.

Dissolve the gelatine (or isinglass, though gelatine leaf sets more cleanly) in the water over low heat, stirring until there's no grain left. You're looking for a clear, syrupy liquid. If you boil it hard, the gelatine strands break down and the set becomes grainy rather than silky. Once fully dissolved, let it cool to lukewarm — test it on your inner wrist; it should feel neutral, not hot. Drizzle the gelatine slowly into the cream mixture whilst folding gently. Cold gelatine will seize into threads if it hits cold cream; lukewarm ensures even distribution.

Pour into a glass dish (the clarity lets you see the set advancing) and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight. The cream should firm to a mousse consistency — it will jiggle slightly when you tilt the dish but won't slump. Serve chilled, either spooned straight from the dish or turned out onto a plate if the set is firm enough. The texture should be creamy and delicate, not rubbery.