This is not a diet recipe. Do not make it one.
Full fat liquid cream — 300ml is enough for four people. UHT cream at room temperature works beautifully; you do not need to refrigerate it first. A cold bowl can help if your kitchen is very warm, but it is not essential.
Pour the cream into a large salad bowl. Add icing sugar to taste — start with a tablespoon and adjust. There are no rules on the sugar; some people like it barely there, some like it properly sweet. Add a drop of vanilla extract if you want, though it is not mandatory. The cream is good without it.
Whisk. Vigorously, and with patience. The cream will first turn frothy, then begin to thicken, then suddenly — if you keep going — it will hold its shape when you lift the whisk. That is what you are waiting for: stiff peaks, properly firm. Do not stop too early.
Once it is as stiff as you like, cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve. It will hold for a few hours.
Serve with fruit, with tarts, with crêpes, with anything that needs something light and rich at the same time. Or simply on its own, which is not nothing.
