What is creme fraiche?
In the simplest terms, it is sour cream. Made fresh. In your kitchen and not some huge factory somewhere and is probably one of the easiest things you could possibly make and you only need a few minutes to throw it together!
You will never want to buy commercial sour cream again! I made this in a variety of flavors back in my catering days. To get started, you only need the base recipe: simple, easy, and tasty! See below for variations. Be sure to use a GLASS or ceramic bowl.
You will need:
1 cup heavy cream — not whipping cream
2 Tbsp. buttermilk
glass bowl –DO NOT USE PLASTIC!!!!!
Directions:
In a glass bowl, stir together the heavy cream and buttermilk.
Cover with a clean kitchen cloth or plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free place and let sit until it has thickened. I usually place this on top of the refrigerator and ignore it till the next morning.
Stir the creme fraiche and refrigerate until ready to use. (Can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)
Serve with tacos, chilli, baked potatoes…..The possibilities are endless!
Don’t worry about the creme fraiche spoiling while it’s sitting on top of the fridge; the acid from the buttermilk prevents bacterial disease associated with dairy products.
Flavor Variations:
- Sweeten with a tablespoon or so of honey and serve over your pancakes or as a fruit dip.
- Mix in a tablespoon of powdered ranch, Italian, or French onion dressing for a nice veggie or chip dip.
- Sweeten with two single serve packets of Splenda™ and top your favorite cheesecake! No need to bake this topping on the cheesecake.
My personal favorite is to use as a baked potato topping, along with a bit of sharp cheddar and bacon!
