Whipped Topping

• 1 packet unflavored gelatin
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 1 cup tap water
• 1 cup instant non-fat dry milk powder
• 1/3 cup sugar
  1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 to 3 teaspoons lemon juice

First take the cup of tap water and pour it into a large deep bowl. Put this bowl of water into the freezer while you do everything else. I use a metal bowl because the water chills faster. Next place the unflavored gelatin into a small cereal bowl. Add one tablespoon of water and let is soften up. Add the boiling water to the gelatin mixture. Stir it with a fork for several minutes, to dissolve the gelatin completely. Let it sit and cool down some. Meanwhile measure the oil, vanilla and lemon juice all into a small container. Set it aside. Also measure the sugar and set aside.

When the water in the freezer has ice crystals forming on it, take it out and place it on the counter. Pour in a full cup of dry milk powder. Using electric beaters (you have to have electric beaters to make this recipe), whip the mixture at high speed until it forms stiff peaks. This will take a full five minutes.

Continue beating, and gradually add the sugar. When it is fully incorporated, gradually add the cooled gelatin mixture. When this is fully incorporated, gradually add the oil, vanilla, lemon juice mixture, in a small stream. The texture of the topping will change a little bit, becoming bright white and creamier. This is normal.

Now place the bowl into the freezer again for about 10 or 15 minutes. It will chill and thicken. Stir it with a wire whisk right before serving. You may serve it right away, or keep it in the fridge for a few days. Be sure to stir it before serving, because it tends to thicken up while it sits. Stirring it will make it creamy again.

I discovered a variation of this recipe as a teenager in a 1973 edition of The American Heart Association Cookbook. When I made it the first time, I was quite impressed with the results. Over the years, I modified the recipe, adding the vanilla and lemon juice, and increasing the recipe, to make enough for my large family. It doesn’t taste the same as the non-dairy whipped toppings you find at the supermarket. It actually tastes much better. The dry milk powder gives it a dairy flavor which, to my taste buds, is much more satisfying than the chemical fluff available in the freezer at the market. It costs about 60 cents to make. An equivalent amount from my store is $2.39. Big savings.

This recipe is quite easy after you’ve made it a couple times, and find the rhythm of it. Serve it anywhere you would regular whipped topping, and even use it in fancy pudding or gelatin creations. It holds up nicely. Great as a topping for Cream Pies. If you are trying to cut down on cholesterol, this recipe will work as well as real whipping cream on most deserts.