Homemade Food Gifts for the Holidays

I think this is a fab idea and I would love a basket of muffins or cookies or whatever for Christmas.  However, I couldn't give a basket as my baking skills are nil.   

I have to say I can't think why you'd put sugar into whipped cream - unless it was to add vanilla too and make chantilly cream?

It's called sweetened whipped cream, it tastes much better than the fake stuff (aka Cool Whip which you can't get here anyway), and is just the thing for pumpkin pie & all manner of other desserts!!  Good with vanilla added, of course, but even better with a glug of brandy or Cointreau. 

I can't think why you wouldn't put sugar in whipped cream, unless you want whipped cream for something savoury but struggling to think of what that might be - there must be something?

I put it down to the great American vs British dessert divide.  Generally speaking, I find a number of desserts here disappointing because they're not sweet enough to my American tastes, and it seems that Brits often find American desserts too sweet.

Hence, the Eton Mess that I was sooo looking forward to having in the summer - once MIL seized her control, well the Eton Mess ended up being just average & nothing special at all, because adding any sugar to the whipped cream or to the berry mixture was 'Sickly!'  It wasn't nearly sweet enough & I was sad. 

Much as I love sweet stuff I do like the cream plain as a sort of contrast to a sweet dessert.  I think you're right about the difference in palates though - when I lived in the US I always found the apple pie too sweet and could never get hold of anything to make a dessert with 'bite' like rhubarb, blackcurrants or gooseberries. 

Mind you my idea of heaven is pavlova with lots of sweet sticky meringue, raspberries and (unsweetened) cream (then again I do like the raspberries to have 'bite' so I give in - you definitely have a point!!).

So every time I make whipped cream now, I have to dump some extra sugar in with wild abandon & a little wink, while thinking of my MIL. 

I made whipped cream last night, dumped in sugar, and thought of your MIL. 

when I lived in the US I always found the apple pie too sweet and could never get hold of anything to make a dessert with 'bite' like rhubarb, blackcurrants or gooseberries. 

Where in the US were you? Rhubarb at least is plentiful in California.

I made whipped cream last night, dumped in sugar, and thought of your MIL. 

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lol

For me, it depends upon the dessert. Sometimes I'd sweeten the whipped cream, sometimes not. Just depended upon the contrast I was looking for.

I can't wholly agree with the idea that the British don't have such a sweet tooth, though. I mean, sticky toffee pudding and banoffee pie? That's all I have to say about that!!

I made whipped cream last night, dumped in sugar, and thought of your MIL. 

 
Where in the US were you? Rhubarb at least is plentiful in California.

Memphis, TN  - it was the blackcurrants I missed most!

For me, it depends upon the dessert. Sometimes I'd sweeten the whipped cream, sometimes not. Just depended upon the contrast I was looking for.

I can't wholly agree with the idea that the British don't have such a sweet tooth, though. I mean, sticky toffee pudding and banoffee pie? That's all I have to say about that!!

I agree with you! I find British desserts sickeningly sweet. And I was never served sugar on strawberries until I moved here (probably just a me thing- not US/UK). Of course I add salt to my hot chocolate and prefer chocolate bars to be dark and have chilli, pretzels or peanut butter in them. 
US desserts are more sweet +savory, while UK ones are sweet + sweet + half a pint of double cream to me.