January 5 marks National Whipped Cream Day, a day to celebrate that little extra something special we add to desserts and other recipes.   This creamy treat can be the difference between normal and extraordinary when it comes to foods or beverages.

This holiday falls on the birthday of Reddi-wip founder Aaron “Bunny” Lapin.  Aaron, who invented Reddi-wip in 1948, was born on January 5, 1914.

National Whipped Cream Day celebrates whipped cream’s contribution to the dessert world.

Often sweetened and sometimes flavored with vanilla, coffee, chocolate, orange and other flavors, whipped cream is also sometimes called Chantilly cream or creme Chantilly.

Recipes from the 16th century included whipped cream that was sweetened and aromatised.  The names milk snow and snow cream were used.  In these recipes, naturally separated cream is whipped, typically with willow or rush branches, then the resulting foam on the surface would from time to time be skimmed off and drained, which was a process taking an hour or more.

The English name whipped cream found its beginning in 1673.   The name snow cream continued to be used throughout the 17th century.

This time of the year is the perfect time to honor whipped cream. Winter is a season for decadent desserts and tasty warm beverages, both of which benefit from the inclusion of whipped cream.