Creamed

Creamed is the past participle of cream and has several related uses in English, most commonly in cooking and culinary terminology. It can refer to a technique used in baking as well as to dishes that are finished with a cream-based sauce or texture. It can also be used informally as a verb meaning to defeat someone decisively.

In cooking, creaming denotes a specific technique: fat, usually softened butter, is beaten with sugar until the mixture becomes pale, light, and fluffy, incorporating air that helps leaven baked goods such as cookies and cakes. The process typically requires ingredients at appropriate temperatures and may be followed by adding eggs gradually to maintain a stable emulsion.

As a descriptor for dishes, creamed describes foods prepared with or finished in a sauce made from cream or milk, producing a smooth, thick texture. Common examples include creamed corn, creamed spinach, and creamed potatoes, as well as many cream-based soups such as cream of mushroom or cream of chicken, which are often thickened with a roux or starch.

In informal usage, the verb can imply a decisive defeat, as in phrases like “the team got creamed.” This sense is unrelated to the culinary meaning but is widely understood in everyday speech.

Overall, creamed denotes either a culinary technique that creates lightness in baked goods or foods enriched with cream, as well as a colloquial expression for overpowering or defeating someone.