Creme Fraiche

Recently, I seem to have come across various recipes which call for creme fraiche, which is sour cream's French cousin.  Although sour cream can be used as substitution for creme fraiche, most pastry chefs have strongly advocate the use of creme fraiche instead of sour cream, as side-by-side taste experiments have proven that pastries made with creme fraiche is much more sophisticated and superior in terms of texture and taste.

Creme fraiche may be hard to come by if you are residing outside of Europe (such as yours truly).  Even if you can find them in the larger supermarkets, they are expensive.  However, do not fret as creme fraiche can easily be made at home.  All you need is advance planning, some heavy cream and buttermilk or plain yoghurt.

This recipe is taken from Paris Sweets by Dorie Greenspan.

You will need:
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp buttermilk or plain yoghurt

Preparation:
To prepare 1 cup of creme fraiche, pour 1 cup of the cream into a clean jar, and add 1 tbsp buttermilk or yoghurt.  Cover the jar tightly, and shake for about 1 minute.  Then just leave the jar on the counter for 12 to 24 hours, or until the creme fraiche becomes thick.  Chill the creme fraiche in the refridgerator for a day before you use it.

Creme fraiche can be kept covered in the refridgerator for about 2 weeks and will be tangier and tangier day after day.