Clotted cream
Also known as Devonshire cream and mainly produced on the dairy farms of SouthWest England, this versatile dairy product is a favourite of bakers and confectioners.
Clotted cream is made by placing unpastuerised milk in a shallow pan over an indirect heat. Once warmed it is then left to cool slowly, undisturbed. After a while the cream rises to the surface and forms ‘clots’.
Clotted cream has a nutty, cooked milk flavour, with at least 55 per cent butter fat, giving it a pale yellow colour that is often topped with a deeper yellow crust.
It is an essential ingredient in Devon Cream Tea (tea with scones, clotted cream and jam), and makes a deliciously rich filling for a sponge cake, especially when layered with fresh fruit.
It also makes wonderful ice cream.
Though not nearly as dense, double cream makes an easy substitute. Try them on golden scones with thick lemon curd.