Raspberry Whipped Cream

Step 1

In a small pot, combine the raspberries and 1/3 cup sugar. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the raspberries have broken down most of the way and the syrup has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.

Step 2

Push the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer to remove seeds. You'll inevitably lose a fair amount of the beautiful red pulp to a fine-mesh strainer, but keep pushing and stirring as long as you can stand it to extract as much as possible. You can do this step up to a few days in advance and keep the strained syrup in the fridge. Either way, be sure to let the syrup cool completely before proceeding. (You can set the bowl with the syrup over a bowl of ice to speed the process if you like.)

Step 3

As close to serving time as feasible, beat the heavy cream just shy of the soft peak stage with an electric mixer. Add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and beat to incorporate. Pour in the raspberry syrup and beat just a touch more. You can finish the mixing by hand to make sure it's well-mixed without overbeating.