1. In a chilled mixing bowl, whip heavy cream with a balloon whisk or electric mixer until stiff. If using quince jelly, gently melt it over a double boiler until smooth. Gently mix sweetener of your choice into the whipped cream. Serve immediately .

2. Save leftover cream by spooning it into a sieve lined with a double layer of cheese cloth. Set the sieve about 2 inches over a bowl, cover tightly and place in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.

temperamental. Sometimes it rises to the occasion, forming beautifully stiff peaks. Other times it sulks and stays low, refusing to puff up and whip itself into shape. Just like a well-behaved child, whipped cream is a delight because of its sweetness. One day when Martha was in her kitchen, searching in vain for sugar, she added honey to some whipped cream. With another batch, she used melted quince jelly. Both sweetened the cream successfully, but the jelly had an added benefit: the gelatin in the melted jelly acts as a stiffener and helps whipped cream stay firm for hours. (Another way to improve the chances of making perfect whipped cream is to freeze the bowl and the whisk or beaters for 15 minutes. This allows the fat molecules around the bubbles of air to remain strong, and hold up the foam.) Formatted and posted on 3/18/98 by Vale'rie Whittle