Slow Cooker Clotted Cream

You haven't lived unless you have had a proper English tea with scones and clotted cream. But, clotted cream is terribly difficult to find in the states and terribly expensive if you do find it.

Afternoon tea at Kensington Palace Orangery. If you are planning a trip to London I highly recommend it! Clotted cream is that buttery/cream cheese (note:it is neither butter or cream cheese) looking substance on the middle tier in front of the scones.

I recently had a hankering for clotted cream with my scones. I've tried the method where you cook heavy cream on super low in the oven for approx 12 hrs but didn't have the most impressive results. Then I had a light bulb moment....ding! The slow cooker!! Since my oven was on the fritz anyway this seemed to be the perfect method.

I started with heavy whipping cream-it can be pasteurized but NOT ultra-pasteurized.

Simply pour the cream into a 4 qt slow cooker. I used my retro 90's chic forest green-family of 4 slow cooker because it was smaller than my modern stainless steel family of 7 slow cooker. Basically it just cooks better in a smaller crock pot.
Turn the slower cooker on low, put the lid on, and walk away for approx. 8 hours.

When you come back your cream will look like this - all golden and buttery in color with a thick layer of cream at the top and a more watery layer at the bottom. Scoop, the now clotted cream, out with a slotted spoon. You only want the thick top layer.

I let mine drain in a cheese cloth lined strainer in the frig for a couple hours. Make sure you cover it with plastic wrap too. When you are ready to eat it, beat the clotted cream slightly with an electric mixer - just to get any lumps out.

It's tea time! Now this is what I remember clotted cream tasting like....success!

My sister Nicola during our tea at the palace. By the way we highly recommend the peppermint herbal infusion tea.

Now that you are in a right jolly tea drinking, scone eating mood, here is a link to the recipe for Kensington Palace Scones too. Cheerio and pink up everyone!