How to make mock cream

You know, sometimes you just need cream for a cake and not frosting. My son and I had a big baking session one weekend recently and he made a basic box mix vanilla cake and he was wanting to fill it with jelly (jello) and cream. I didn’t have any cream and I’d made mock cream before so I thought I’d share how easy it is to make mock cream.

It’s nothing like that horrible white stuff you see in cake shops. Who knows what’s in that. I can remember years ago, the only cream bun you could get from the cake shop was one filled with real cream but not anymore. I can’t tell you the last time I had one because I know they use a fake white cream which I think is just whipped fat. For this recipe, I used the one that is Flo Bjelke-Petersen’s “Classic Country Collection”. It’s a great cookbook and one I use often for basic recipes. The only thing I didn’t have was caster sugar but I just used normal sugar and although a little grainy, it still tasted like cream.

It’s just a matter of beating the butter and sugar together until creamy, then add the vanilla and then adding the milk. You have to be careful to only gradually add the milk or else it won’t work.

I probably over beat my mock cream by a couple seconds because it’s not super smooth like normal whipped cream. You can see that it’s starting to split. But I used it anyway. It filled and topped the cake and it was super delicious.

I had some store bought icing flowers in the pantry so I topped the cake with those. It was delicious as an after lunch treat and everyone enjoyed it. My son was feeling super proud of his creation. It was filled with a port wine flavoured jelly, the mock cream and topped with the cream as well. (The indents in the side of the cake are from the baking paper we used to line the cake pan.) I’ll let him bake all the time if he can come up with creations like this.

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How to make mock cream

When you don't have fresh cream to fill a cake or bun, make 'mock' cream which tastes just as nice and is made from standard ingredients you'll find in any kitchen.

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Author Anne

Ingredients

• 2 tbs butter
• 4 tbs caster sugar
• 2 tbs milk
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbs water

Instructions

1. Beat butter and sugar until light and creamy.
2. Gradually add milk, beating all the time.
3. Add 2 tbs water in a steady trickle, while beating.
4. Add vanilla essence and beat until a creamy consistency.

Recipe Notes

Be careful not to over beat or else cream will split.
Please note, the above quantities are enough to either fill one layer or top a cake. You will need to double the recipe to do both or have a larger quantity to fill sweet buns or doughnuts, for example.

Adapted from Flo Bjelke Petersen's "Classic Country Collection" Cookbook

Mock Chicken Spread

When Amanda from A Cooker and a Looker started up the “Time Worn Tucker” series on her blog, I thought this is my kind of food. Recipes that were passed down from generation to generation. Recipes that were created on only what was available at the time and this “mock” chicken spread fits in perfectly.

I can remember Mum always making this for a Tupperware party or the latest party plan event at one of the neighbour’s houses. That and cheese/kabana/pickled onion on a toothpick stuck in an orange or finger sandwiches or a homemade dip with crackers. I don’t think this spread resembles chicken in any way but it does resemble the taste of the stuffing and that’s pretty yummy. Its really easy to do with things that most people have on hand and its a pleasant change to the range of supermarket dips available.

‘Mock’ foods originated in World War II when households were rationed to regulate household consumption. You can read more about it here from the Australian War Memorial

http://dolphin70.aqbsoft.com/Paulsen_75

website. Housewives soon became inventive in their recipes, inventing ‘mock’ dishes such as mock brains, mock goose, mock fish. You name it. I can remember Mum making an apple pie once using choko and it didn’t taste too bad considering I hated choko. When there was no choice, you made do with what you had.

Mock Chicken Spread
(Recipe from “Day to Day Cookery” – my high school Home Economics text book)

• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp butter, for frying
• 1 tomato, skinned and chopped (although I didn’t skin mine)
• 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 tbs grated cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Fry onion in butter until soft but not brown.
2. Add tomato and herbs and simmer until tomato has softened.
3. Remove from heat and add beaten egg, grated cheese, salt and pepper and stir until mixture thickens.
4. If mixture is still ‘watery’ add 1 tbs dried breadcrumbs.
5. Serve with crackers or on sandwiches.

Thanks Amanda for the opportunity to guest blog on the Time Worn Tucker series. I look forward to reading more of these fabulous recipes.