Skip to main content

It's Better With Butter

Why would you want to make your own butter? Because it tastes better! And it's easy. All you need it heavy cream, salt, and a mixer-although you can get away without using the mixer. If you are using a mixer, you will need to cover it with plastic wrap, unless you're really into cleaning up splatter. Pour heavy cream into your mixer. It doesn't have to be fresh. It can be close to its expiration date. This time I used 3 cups because I had an open container and an unopened one.
You just whip it for about 10-15 minutes on high. It first looks like whipped cream, then starts to deflate a bit, then starts to get a yellowish hue, until finally you hear a clunk clunk noise and you know you have separated the butter from the buttermilk (boy was that a run on sentence or what?). By this time the plastic wrap is so covered in splatter you can't see into the bowl any longer.

Butter:
 Buttermilk:
From 3 cups of cream you end up with about 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk. Strain the butter from the buttermilk using cheesecloth. Usually I do 2 cups of cream so you end up with about 1 cup of buttermilk. I usually add about 1 tsp salt when I use 2 cups of cream. I added a little more this time. Take chunks of butter and smash it into a jar.  By smashing it, you ensure the butter is compact and does not have air. You end up with this much butter:
Then you just cover the butter with a layer of water.  This keeps the air out and the butter fresh.  To use, just pour the water off and spread away.  If you get air pockets the butter will float. I just keep the jar on the counter. I was a little freaked out about doing that at first but the water is keeping all the air out thereby inhibiting bacteria growth.  In the summer when it is really hot, I keep it in the refrigerator - it's just too soft at room temperature.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Tomato Risotto

Want to build up those arm muscles.  There is no better way than to do up a good risotto. You will get tired of stirring but it is oh so worth it. Tomato Risotto 1 onion, chopped olive oil 2 clove garlic, minced 1 1/2 c Aborio Rice 1/2 c white wine 4 medium-sized tomatoes, peeled about 1 cup warm vegetable stock (may need additional) 1 t fresh oregano 1 T fresh torn basil 2 T fresh parsley salt/pepper Parmesan cheese In a dutch oven, saute chopped onion in olive oil.  Add a little salt to help the onions along.  Meanwhile prep the tomatoes. Squeeze tomatoes gently just to rid them of the seeds. You do not need to get rid of all the liquid. Chop the tomatoes into large cubes. Cook onions until translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add rice and saute for a few minutes until the rice smells toasted. Gradually add white wine and stir until almost all of the wine is absorbed. Add tomatoes to the rice. Add the oregano and basil. Stirring constantly until a

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

The Sous Chef is a sucker for a coffee cake. I think they're OK but add some chocolate chips and I think they're more than OK. Because of the sour cream in this recipe the cake is really moist. Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake (Adapted from a page torn from a magazine from so long ago that the paper has yellowed) Topping: 3/4 c brown sugar 3/4 c flour 3/4 t cinnamon 1/4 t salt 6 T butter, cold & cut up Cake: 2 1/4 c flour 1 t baking powder 1/2 t baking soda 1/4 t salt 1 stick butter 1 c sugar 2 eggs 1 t vanilla 1 c sour cream 1/2 c chocolate chips Prepare topping: In a medium bowl cut butter into dry ingredients. You want it to look like wet sand. Place in refrigerator while you prepare the cake batter. Looks like wet sand Cake: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a mixer cream butter and sugar about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and mix well. Alternate adding sour cream and flour in thre

Blueberry Ice Cream

I bought a whole bunch of blueberries and I so happened to have some heavy cream and half and half in the refrigerator - what to do? what to do? Ice Cream - of course! Blueberry Ice Cream 2 c fresh blueberries 1/4 c sugar 2 T water pinch of cinnamon 2 c heavy cream 1 c half and half (or milk) 1/2 c sugar 3 egg yolks 2 t vanilla In a saucepan heat blueberries, water, sugar, and cinnamon until blueberries are softened. (I mashed them up a bit with a potato masher) Set aside. Meanwhile heat cream, half and half, and sugar until bubbles just start to form around the edges. Remove from heat.  Temper the egg yolks by whisking a small amount of the hot cream into the egg yolks. Add the egg yolks back to the cream mixture and heat to 160. Stir in vanilla and blueberries. Taste and add additional sugar or vanilla as needed (Remember you want it more flavorful than you think it should be). Patience - waiting 24 hours Cool saucepan in and ice bath and refrigerate for 24 hour