Homemade Cool Whip

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
• 1 ounce cold water
• 2 ounces cold milk; any percentage will do
• 3/4 ounce powdered milk, such as Carnation
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 ounces water
• 2 3/4 ounces light corn syrup
• 5 ounces sugar
• Heaping 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume or use the same weight
• 14 ounces chilled heavy cream

Directions

1. Scatter the gelatin over 1 ounce cold water (2 tablespoons; 28g) in a small bowl, then use a fork to stir it together. In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, powdered milk, and vanilla until the mixture is mostly smooth. Combine the remaining 2 ounces water (1/4 cup; 55g), corn syrup, sugar, and salt in a 1-quart stainless steel saucepan, and place it over medium heat. Stir with a fork until the mixture is bubbling vigorously at the sides, about 3 minutes, then turn the heat up to medium-high. Attach a digital thermometer to the pan and cook the syrup without stirring until it reaches 250 degrees F (120 degrees C), about 4 minutes.
2. Right away, pour the syrup into a large heat-safe bowl, using a heat-resistant spatula to scrape out the saucepan, then let it cool to exactly 212 degrees F (100 degrees C), about 3 minutes. Add the gelatin and beat with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until the mixture is thick, bright white, and about tripled in volume, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla milk in several small additions, waiting until each one is blended in before adding more. When the mixture is smooth, cover it well and leave it at room temperature until set, at least 2 and up to 8 hours.
3. For the final step, pour in the cream in a thin stream while mixing on low speed. Continue whipping until the mixture starts to become thicker, about 5 minutes, then raise the speed to medium and beat until the cream forms soft, droopy peaks. Use it right away, or cover the bowl with plastic (or move it to an airtight container) and refrigerate up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, freeze the whipped cream 3 months in an airtight container.