Here’s a little life hack: you can fake the fat. Take your half-and-half and melt in some unsalted butter. For every cup of half-and-half, add about 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
That gets you closer to the fat content of heavy cream. It won’t whip perfectly, but it’ll behave much better in sauces and baked goods. Boom—you’re a kitchen alchemist now.
Just stir it gently and don’t let it boil too hard. Butter + half-and-half = a surprisingly decent stand-in for emergencies.