[1] Grab your hand mixer and start whipping (photo © Robert Matic | iStock Photo).

[2] Chocolate whipped cream. the recipe is below (photo © ).

An unsweetened or just slightly sweet whipped cream provides a better counterpoint to the sweetness of the dessert. Otherwise, the sweet-on-sweet can be cloying.

Another tip: Make your own whipped cream. Once you see how easy it is and how much better it tastes, you’ll never go back to store-bought aerosol cans.

Just look at the ingredients comparison:

 
The amount of heavy cream you use—one half or one pint—yields up to five times as much whipped cream.

The recipe for chocolate whipped cream is below.

Here’s how to whip the cream in a bowl with beaters; however, if you you want an even easier way to make whipped cream that you can prepare days in advance, consider a cream whipper, also called a whipped cream maker or canister.
 
 
RECIPE: CLASSIC WHIPPED CREAM

You can also make flavored whipped cream, from bourbon to salted caramel; chocolate whipped cream (recipe below); and savory whipped cream for meat and fish.

Ingredients

We’ve used a cream whipper for many years. They last forever—we still have our mother’s unit from the 1960s.

You simply pour the cream into the canister, add the sugar and flavoring, and then aerate instantly with a nitrous oxide charger instead of whipping for 5 minutes with the beaters. All of the whipped cream is good to the last drop; it stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

In addition to whipping cream, you can use a cream whipper for espumas (foams), gravies, sauces, and soups. In fact, there’s a thermal version that keeps the contents cold for up to eight hours with no refrigeration needed, or hot for three hours—on the kitchen counter or the buffet for people to help themselves.

The differences between a cream whipper and beater whipped cream: The cream will be more highly aerated (airier, not thick) and will emerge from the nozzle of the whipper in a thin ribbon, as opposed to a rounded mound as large as you like, from a spoon.
 
 
RECIPE: CHOCOLATE WHIPPED CREAM

You can use dark, milk or white chocolate.

Ingredients

1. MEASURE the chocolate into a medium bowl; set aside.

2. HEAT the sugar and 1 cup of the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar has dissolved.

3. POUR the cream mixture over the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate has melted. Let cool.

4. ADD the remaining cup of heavy cream and beat with electric beaters (or in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment) on medium speed, until thick and fluffy.

Their house brand products are known for their quality; and their delicious shortbread is available in the U.S. under the brand “Duchy Originals.”

Baked from a traditional Scottish Highlands recipe, these melt-in-the-mouth, all butter shortbread biscuits are made using local butter and flour with sugar and a pinch of salt.

A box of 12 cookies per 5.3 ounce box is $5.93-$6.24 with free shipping on orders over $35, on Amazon.com, with a choice of:

ABOUT DUCHY ORIGINALS

The Duchy Originals brand was founded in the UK in 1992 by HRH Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales. The Prince set out to produce food of the highest quality, using the best natural ingredients, produced sustainably and in harmony with the environment, while supporting worthwhile causes through The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Foundation.

Duchy Originals is now produced in partnership with Waitrose and baked by Walker’s Shortbread.
 
ABOUT SHORTBREAD

Shortbread is a type of cookie with a high butter content: The traditional recipe is one part sugar, two parts butter and three parts flour. It has been called the ancestor of all butter cookies.

The original shortbreads were made with oatmeal; the more elegant white flour came later and lightened the cookie. Its current form is often attributed to Mary, Queen of Scots in the 16th century. She had a team of French chefs who had the time, labor and ingredients to perfect the recipe.

Check out the history of shortbread.

Oaten biscuits are less sweet and delicious with cheese. Photo courtesy Duchy Originals.

[2] Make your own pumpkin spice latte with this recipe (photo © Freestocks).

As a follow-up to our recent article on autumn Bundt cakes, here’s one that’s especially appropriate for Thanksgiving: Pumpkin Spice Bundt.

Bake one for National Pumpkin Spice Day, October 1st. Or…

> National Bundt Cake Day is November 15th.

> National Pound Cake Day is March 4th.

> National Cake Day is November 26th.

> More pumpkin spice recipes.

> The history of the Bundt cake.

> The history of cake.

> The different types of cakes: a photo glossary.
 
 
RECIPE: PUMPKIN SPICE POUND CAKE BUNDT

Thanks to Spice Islands for the recipe.

Ingredients For The Cake

 
Preparation

For The Cake

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Generously grease and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan.

2. BEAT the sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla; add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each.

3. COMBINE the flour, baking powder, salt and spices; mix well. Alternately add dry ingredients and pumpkin to butter mixture, beating well after each addition. Pour into prepared pan.

4. BAKE for 65 to 75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Invert onto serving plate. Cool completely.
 
 
For The Caramel Pecan Topping

1. COMBINE the brown sugar, cream, maple syrup, butter and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

2. REMOVE from the heat and stir in the cinnamon, vanilla and pecans. Serve warm over the cake. Top with whipped cream, if desired.
 
 
WHIPPED CREAM TIP: If you’re putting whipped cream on a very sweet dessert, such as this caramel topping or pecan pie, you can halve the sugar in the whipped cream or eliminate it entirely.

An unsweetened or just slightly sweet whipped cream provides a better counterpoint to the sweetness of the dessert. Otherwise, the sweet-on-sweet can be cloying.
 
 

Fast-forward several thousand years: The early Colonists ate popcorn as a breakfast cereal, with milk and a sweetener. (Think puffed corn cereals like those from Arrowhead Mills and Nature’s Path, among others, not to mention Kellogg’s Corn Pops.)

In the 18th century, after the corn harvest, rendered fat would be thrown into a cast iron pot over an open fire. When the fat was hot, farmers would toss in corn kernels, a little molasses or other sweetener, and then wait for the corn to pop into a sweet, hot treat.

By the 1840s, corn popping had become a popular recreational activity in the U.S. Popcorn balls, the kernels stuck together with a sugar syrup, were hugely popular around the turn of the 20th century, both for eating and for holiday decorations (they were hung with ribbons from Christmas trees).

With the availability of bagged popcorn brands, popcorn balls began to wane, appearing mostly in the hoiday season from Halloween through Christmas.

Here’s the full history of popcorn.

Popcorn is a better-for-you snack. Plain popcorn is loaded with whole grains, fiber and antioxidants.

Of course, when you add butter, salt and sugar, it adds less-better-for-you ingredients. But compared to other sweet and salty snacks, it’s the winner.

So consider these popcorn balls a better option for holiday snacking.

You can serve these from a platter or a serving bowl, or wrap individually in cellophane and tie with a ribbon for a party favor or stocking stuffer. Add a name tag to create a combination place setting and take-home favor.

Ingredients For 18 Popcorn Balls

Preparation

1. COMBINE all ingredients, except popcorn, in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil; lower heat and cook to 250°F on a candy thermometer. The mixture will bubble up in the pan, so watch it carefully to keep the mixture from boiling over.

2. POUR slowly over the hot popcorn and mix until the corn is well coated. Let it stand for 5 minutes or until the mixture can easily be formed into balls.

3. SPRAY your hands with a cooking spray (or use butter) hands and form the popcorn into 3-inch balls.
 
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ANOTHER HOLIDAY POPCORN RECIPE

If you’ve got sage left over from the stuffing or other recipe, make this sage popcorn recipe.

RECIPE #1: PUMPKIN PIE-TINI

Ingredients Per Drink

Preparation

1. SHAKE all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled Martini glass.

2. GARNISH and serve.

Try a Pumpkin Pie-Tini for Thanksgiving. Photo courtesy Sauza Tequila.

Here’s another version of the Pumpkin Pie-tini, from 1800 Tequila, a less creamy option that uses milk instead of cream plus a touch of chocolate liqueur:

RECIPE #2: PUMPKIN PIE-TINI

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. RIM a Martini glass using a small amount of honey, then roll in graham cracker crumbs.

2. SHAKE the milk and pumpkin purée over ice to combine. Add the remaining ingredients and shake well. Strain into the Martini glass.

More Pie-Tini recipes: Apple Pie-Tini and Cherry Pie-Tini.