What do I do with Half and Half?

Oberweis Dairy insists on giving me free samples. Yesterday I got two pint containers of Half and Half.

I don't even know what half and half is. I think it goes in coffee; however, it doesn't go in mine so that's moot. Does it make whipped cream that's not as rich and lush as regular whipped cream? I have no idea.

I hate to waste this stuff, though if I had to make a bet, it would be that it will take up fridge space until about 6 weeks after its expiry date and then get tossed. But other suggestions welcome.

Well, the obvious answers that come to me are making creamy soups, mashed root vegetables, some kind of gratin. Think of places where you'd cook with milk that would be OK a little richer, or places where you'd cook with cream that would still be good somewhat less rich.

No Mike it will not whip like cream. But use it were you would use milk if you want the item to be richer as was suggested or less rich. It would work great in sauces or mashed items. You could add it to coffee if you liked. Try it by mixing with milk in desserts such as puddings or in custard pies.
Paulette

A guilty pleasure of mine: Jello Chocolate Pudding (non-instant) made with half and half.

Sweet Occasions makes milkshakes with half and half. Sounds like a pretty good idea to me.

As for what it is. Isn't it just half milk and half heavy cream? That's the assumption I was always working under.

use it to make fudge.

It would make a nice, somewhat light ice cream base.

eatchicago wrote:As for what it is. Isn't it just half milk and half heavy cream? That's the assumption I was always working under.

Same here. Therefore I use it in recipes that call for milk and cream - such as panna cotta. Or use in any recipe that calls for boiling down milk. The half-and-half will make it richer and you don't have to use as much (as milk) or boil it down much.
Some further ideas/uses for the half-and-half in pudding type preparations:
kheer (rice pudding) - boil rice (presoaked in water for a while) in milk and half-and-half mixture, once rice is ¾ths or little more done - add sugar and pinch of cardamom (seed) powder. Slivered almonds if you want. Alternately I like to sweeten with jaggery instead of all sugar. Jaggery is unrefined brown sugar of sorts = Mexican piloncillo. If you are using jaggery, add at the end after the pudding has cooled down a bit.

Instead of rice you could use vermicelli (which I prefer over rice puddings). Also instead of adding sugar and milk and boiling use condensed milk for a quick (10 min) dessert. This a a quick 'sevian' (N. Indian name) or 'semia (vermicelli) payasam' (S. Indian name) - heat a couple of tablespoons of ghee and fry cashews (in a pinch almonds instead; also if you like, raisins fried till puffed). Set aside. Heat small can of condensed milk and equal volumes ½&½ and milk to low simmer, add fried vermicelli till cooked (it's quick, be careful not to overcook), add nuts, cool. Enjoy warmed or fridge cold. Sweet and decadent.

Half and half is indeed half heavy cream and half whole milk.

It has a fat content between about 12 and 20% (I believe heavy cream, or heavy whipping cream, weighs in at over 30%).

This fat content means it is ideal, like Paulette said upthread, to make very rich foods/drinks "less rich" or not-so-rich "more rich."

The problem with using it as a whipped cream is that it does not contain enough fat to make a heavy, stable, delicious foam. It *will* whip, but do a side-by-side comparison and note that the whip made with half and half will not be as glossy, firm, or stable as the whip made with heavy--and it will begin to "weep" much more quickly. Of course, it will do in a pinch

Half and half is a common ingredient in cocktails, such as White Russians, but as you said upthread, it is used most often for those who like to cut their coffee. The problem with using it in sauces is that it can't take a boil like heavy cream can, there is not enough fat floating around in it to keep it from curdling. Even when using heavy cream in a sauce, I always like to temper it a little bit before adding it to the hot pan.

But I'm a paranoid bastard.

NeroW wrote:Half and half is indeed half heavy cream and half whole milk.

While I believe that's the derivation of the name, the common commercial practice these days is to take the raw milk into the plant, run it through the fat separator (yielding skim milk and cream), then adding back enough cream to make whatever fat level is desired .... so technically half and half is a mix of skim milk and cream, just as whole milk is also a mix of skim milk and cream, just with less cream. Fat content of half and half is usually between 10% and 12% - I'd be amazed if anyone made it as high as 20% - it'd be called light cream at that point, anyway.

I quite like using Half and Half to make obscenely rich hot chocolate. Take some very good very dark chocolate, some half and half, and a little vanilla and mix it all up.

Hi,

I have used half and half instead of stock when making Turkey stuffing.

I pour it into my cereal in the morning.

Regards,

In reading through this thread I had an idea. A couple of years ago I bought a Boudin Milk foamer that takes milk including skim milk and makes a thick foam to put on coffee. I bet half and half would be great in this way and probably could be used as a toping this way especially if you are watching calories.
Paulette

Just last night for my husband's birthday I mixed 1/2 c. half-and-half with 10 oz. decent chocolate chips, melted over low heat, and voila--chocolate fondue. Didn't add any liqueur 'cause I don't keep it around, but I could have (added a little vanilla instead). Dipped marshmallows, pound cake, strawberries, bananas, apple slices, etc.

I'm so glad someone asked--I was just wondering what the heck I would do with the rest of the pint. If not for this thread I'd just mix it with skim milk and serve it to my son, who drinks whole milk.

Two pints of half and half??? Pastry cream. Cook's Illustrated has a great Boston Cream Pie recipe with the BEST pastry cream. I don't have it handy but I'm pretty sure it uses half and half...

I make parfaits with pound cake, pastry cream and sliced strawberries. Everyone loves it!!!

Use in custards, ice cream, creme brulee, obscenely rich yogurt.



I've always liked it over my Special K.

nr706 wrote:

NeroW wrote:Half and half is indeed half heavy cream and half whole milk.

While I believe that's the derivation of the name, the common commercial practice these days is to take the raw milk into the plant, run it through the fat separator (yielding skim milk and cream), then adding back enough cream to make whatever fat level is desired .... so technically half and half is a mix of skim milk and cream, just as whole milk is also a mix of skim milk and cream, just with less cream. Fat content of half and half is usually between 10% and 12% - I'd be amazed if anyone made it as high as 20% - it'd be called light cream at that point, anyway.

Mmm. Fat separator.

The obvious-

1) Cream soups
2) Chowders
3) Cream sauces, especially if there are other thickening agents in the sauce.

I guess I would second Cathy's cereal idea. In my youth, I used to have Frosted Flakes with heavy cream as a hangover cure. I suppose that you could use half and half if you were on a strict diet. It also makes a nice quiche, where some recipies call for part milk, part cream anyway.
-Will

paulette wrote:In reading through this thread I had an idea. A couple of years ago I bought a Boudin Milk foamer that takes milk including skim milk and makes a thick foam to put on coffee. I bet half and half would be great in this way ...

Indeed. A cappuccino made with half and half instead of milk is usually called a Cafe Breve.