Homemade clotted cream is so easy to make in the oven, just needing heavy cream and time. Served with scones and jam, clotted cream really elevates afternoon tea to something special!
2 cups (1liter)heavy cream, NOT ultra-pasteurized, see Recipe Notes
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 175 °F. This is usually the lowest temperature an oven can go.
Pour the heavy cream into a glass or ceramic 9-inch pie pan. Place the pan in the oven for at least 12 hours (or overnight). Don't disturb the pan during this time, so no stirring.
Carefully remove the pan from the oven, keeping the pan steady. You don't want to mix the thickened cream into the whey layer underneath. Allow the cream to cool for 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for another 12 hours.
Once the cream has chilled, use a slotted spoon to gently skim off the thickened layer on top of the whey layer and place in another bowl. You can transfer the remaining whey to another jar to use in scones or biscuits.
If you want, stir the thickened creamy layer and any whey present until the mixture has a smooth, creamy texture. There might be small pieces of the leathery layer, but that's fine. Otherwise, you can remove the crust and chill the remaining clotted cream (the whey will get reabsorbed).
Place the clotted cream a tightly sealed container, like a mason jar.
Storage instructions: Clotted cream will keep in the refrigerator, like unsalted butter, for 5 days (and even up to 2 weeks). For best flavor, bring to room temperature before serving.Clotted cream can be frozen for up to 6 months in a tightly sealed jar. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature and enjoy!
This recipe makes 1 cup of clotted cream and ½ cup of whey. You can easily double the recipe using a glass, ceramic, or another non-reactive 8- x 8-inch or 9- x 9-inch baking pan. The heavy cream should be about 1½ to 2 inches deep in the pan.
Notes
Use heavy cream that has a fat content of at least 36%, and make sure it's not ultra-pasteurized (the cream won't clot well).