need help finding heavy whipping cream

I've really been missing my chicken fettuccine alfredo. I can't seem to find any jars of alfredo sauce here. I've found a recipe for it and I want to try to make some but it calls for "heavy whipping cream" and I don't know if it's available here or if it's called something else. I'm NOT a cook and I really don't know what is what...

So, Tesco has "fresh whipping cream"... do you think that will work even though it doesn't say heavy? I also see "double cream" on the shelf but I don't know what it is...if it's similar or completely different. They also have a "really thick double cream."

Anyone know if any of these things will work?

I always use half-and-half for my alfredo.  I imagine fresh whipping cream would be fine.

i believe double cream is the same as 'heavy cream' in the US.  I use it for cooking quite often.

You could try using a British recipe instead of an American one... then you'd know exactly what to buy!

vnicepeeps would probably know this.     Where is she?

I'd probably go with the whipping cream, since double cream won't whip and if that's what you need it's probably best.  Like most things you'll probably end up making it more than once to find the one you like best.     Double cream will be very thick-really thick double cream will be practically solid.

I still use American recipes and cook books.  Nothing wrong with that.   

I would probably go for double cream too.  I've made Alfredo-ish sauces before and that's what I use.

I still use American recipes and cook books.  Nothing wrong with that.   

I only suggested using a British cookery book so that she wouldnt have to 'translate'.

double cream  for the  alfredo sauces..   and I definitely use my  US cookbooks.. I'd be lost without them!!

Thanks for the replies. I'll give it a try!

And, I'll see if I can find a British version online. I want to try the one I found first because it claims to taste like Olive Garden's alfredo sauce.

This is a recipe I make with leftover ham.
Fettuccine Boscaiola Serves 4
Easy on the budget, quick to make and so very, very tasty - Fettuccine Boscaiola is a perfect pasta meal for the beginner and gourmet alike.
         
Ingredients

500 g (1 lb) Closed Cup Mushrooms
500g Loose Baked Ham
60g Garlic Butter
142ml Tesco Fresh Double Cream
Tesco Dried Mixed Herbs
Tesco Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese
500 g (1 lb) Buitoni Fettuccine
         
Cooking Instructions

1.   Carefully wipe the mushrooms with a damp paper towel to remove any grit. Slice the whole mushrooms finely, including the stems.
2.   Slice the ham into rough shapes about the same size as the mushrooms.
3.   Bring a large pan of water to a rapid boil and add pasta. TIP - Pouring a small amount of oil and salt into the boiling water will give a better result.
4.   Heat the 20g of the garlic butter in a heavy-based frying pan and flash-fry the ham.
5.   Add the mushrooms, mixed herbs and 40g more garlic butter. Cook the mushrooms until lightly brown.
6.   Remove cooked pasta. Drain well, then return to the pan and keep warm..
7.   Reduce heat in pan, add cream and stir until gently heated (do not allow the cream to boil).
8.   Pour the sauce over the warm pasta in the pan and toss gently to combine. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

I'll put in another vote for double cream - that's what I always use for whipping cream and it always seems to work exactly the same.... I use a mix of American and English cookbooks but most of my American ones have conversion tables in them which is awfully handy! Learning ingredient substitutes is sort of fun - a bit of detective work and experimentation....

Cait that recipe sounds really yummy. Do you make your own garlic butter for it?

Anne, all I do is all butter and some ready prepared garlic paste or ready chopped garlic.  So far, so good!

Here I am....

let's see....

Whipping cream is well... that.... cream that is meant to be whipped for things like mousse, parfaits, mixed with sugar and vanilla and smothered all over strawberries or well.... anything of that sort.

Double cream is the best for your thick Alfredo sauce and works well as a subsitute for US heavy cream and can even be better in some cases if you can get the nice fresh stuff and not the ultra paturized stuff... but the long life one is sure handy to have around for a quick meal.  Double cream also is great to make a lovely mushroom sauce or things of that type.  It can also be poured over fruit if you are so inclined or swirled into oatmeal just to make it that much healthier.   

Single cream would work more like half and half and creates a lovely alfredo or cream sauce as well.  It comes out with a lighter/thinner over all consistency so really it all depends on personal taste.  I use both. 

You can use cait's recipe and add onions and/or bacon pieces (lardons) and create another easy dish.  :-)  Or throw in a few prawns.  Yummy!

OH WOW am I getting hungry!!!!!   

~Liza

This is the recipe my son uses to make fettucine alfredo and it's really good. It tastes like the stuff from Olive Garden or the crab alfredo (minus the crab) from Red Lobster. It's not even close to being low fat so if you're on a diet I wouldn't suggest it. I have made it myself and used a little less butter and it still turned out ok but you can't cut it out altogether or use anything low fat or it tastes bad.

Fettucine Alfredo

1/2 cup butter (do NOT use margarine)
2 Tbsp cream cheese
1 pint heavy cream
1 tsp garlic powder
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (not the nasty stuff in the can)
1 lb fettucine

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the cream cheese. When the cream cheese is softened (don't worry if it doesn't melt right into the butter) add the heavy cream. Sprinkle in the garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 15-20 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. Serve over hot fettucine noodles.


Cait- Your recipe looks great...I'm definitely going to give it a try.

Melissa - that's just deadly.  I've called that "heartattack on a plate" before.

I went out with a girlfriend for dinner tonight, and after reading this thread I HAD to get the hand made ravioli stuffed with smoked salmon, with a light spicy cream sauce.  OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!

Now I need to run around the block about eight times. 

~Liza