Have you ever spent considerable time working on a recipe that you want to be creamy, healthy, and delicious only to find that the creamy ingredient(s) adds so many calories, and/or fat grams and/or sodium grams that the recipe is either no longer considered healthy or it has become borderline healthy? Or, have you ever assembled a sauce recipe that calls for heavy cream and you use half & half or whole milk to cut calories only to find your sauce is now way too thin so you add a slurry made with flour or corn starch and discover that your sauce now has the consistency of mashed potatoes? Well, I’ve experienced both frustrations a number of times but I now think I’ve found a solution if not a happy medium … Mexicana Crema Table Cream found in the refrigerated dairy section of many grocery stores!
First, let’s look at some facts about milk fat and this may be confusing because it concerns Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards of identity:
1. Whole Milk contains 3.25 % milk fat, has 12 calories in 2 Tbsps and 17 mg of sodium.
2. Half & Half contains 12 % milk fat, has 40 calories in 2 Tbsps and 25 mg of sodium.
3. Table Cream contains 20 % milk fat, has 50 calories in 2 Tbsps and 10 mg of sodium.
4. Light Whipping Cream contains 35 % milk fat, has 60 calories in 2 Tbsps and 10 mg of sodium.
5. Heavy Whipping Cream contains 38 % milk fat, has 103 calories in 2 Tbsps and 10 mg of sodium.
The higher the fat content, the thicker the cream. Higher-fat creams are also more resistant to curdling, so they are a better choice in soups and sauces, when the cream is heated. I have used Mexicana Crema dozens of times in recipes and it always gives me the perfect thickness without the use of flour or corn starch or cream cheese. My brand of choice is Cacique; it is creamier, smoother and tastier than Crème Fraiche, more available and definitely more affordable!
Give Cacique Mexicana Crema Table Cream a chance in your next sauce or soup and I think you’ll be pleased with the results.
