Homemade Butter

I had this idea a year ago to learn how to make my own butter. Don't ask me why -- I was on a huge homemade kick, and I had a lot of heavy cream that was about to go sour, so I came up with making my own butter. With modern technology, making your own butter is a snap, and it's much tastier than the storebought sticks. Homemade butter can also be customized: you can make herbed butters and honey butters easily, adding the ingredients (chives, parsley, sugar, garlic, etc.) while the butter is being worked, so the flavors will meld and be more pronounced. It really is the perfect accompaniment to homemade bread.

Note: You will need a food processor to make homemade butter, or there will be a lot of mixing/shaking. 

Ingredients:

Recipe makes about 1/2 cup of butter, but can be easily doubled or tripled.

 

1 cup heavy whipping cream

sea salt (optional)

Optional mix-ins:

1 tsp powdered garlic

1 tsp parsley

1/2 tbsp honey

1 tsp sugar

Pour the whipping cream into the food processor, and turn on high, running until the liquid becomes nice and thick. 

The liquid will become solid, and will separate, leaving a liquid substance. It usually takes about 8 minutes to mix enough to separate. 

Drain the buttermilk, and reserve, if desired, for buttermilk recipes. Scrape the solid butter out, and place in a bowl for rinsing and working. 

Pour about a cup of water over the butter, and using a potato masher or two large forks, press the butter, working out any excess liquid. Drain the liquid, and repeat this step until the water is clear (should take about 3 rinses). 

After the butter has been worked, mix in a 1/2 tablespoon of the sea salt, if desired. Without the salt, the butter will have a sweet, light taste. Using the forks, work in the salt, and place in a container. Butter will keep for about two weeks in the fridge, or 6 months in the freezer. Can also be placed in a butter bell to remain soft. 

Country Buttermilk Biscuits

I know, I know! More biscuits? I promise this recipe is easier than the previous recipe -- it only has three ingredients! These biscuits are a bit more sturdy, however; they're not rock-solid or anything, but are more like the biscuits that you'd get a a Bob Evans. These can be made as drop biscuits or rolled out and cut for a uniform shape. These are great to use in egg sandwiches!

As I posted in my cornbread recipe, buttermilk is a critical flavor ingredient to this recipe, so it cannot be substituted.

Ingredients -- makes about 9 large biscuits

2 cups + 2 tbsp self-rising flour
3/4 cup buttermilk
6 tbsp salted butter

Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

Place the flour into a bowl, and slowly cut in the margarine, working in with a dough blender. If you have a KitchenAid mixer, use the dough hook, and slowly cut in the margarine as it mixes. I highly recommend that you invest in a dough blender (pictured below). It is worth the investment if you plan on baking any sort of pastry, scones, biscuits, etc. They are about $12 US. However, you can use a large fork, and I've even used my hands to mash the butter into the flour! The dough (or pastry) blender makes things a little simpler.

After mixing the butter in, add the buttermilk slowly, blending with the flour/margarine mixture as you add.

 

When the dough pulls away from the sides and the ingredients are mixed, place the dough onto a well-floured surface. Flour your hands, and turn the dough a couple of times until it is smooth. Use a rolling pin (or a heavy glass if you don't have one), and roll out the dough. Use a biscuit cutter or glass and cut out the biscuits.Place on a baking sheet.

 If you prefer drop biscuits, do not knead or roll out the dough, simply scoop them from the bowl onto a baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven, allowing to cool for a couple of minutes before transferring to a plate. Serve warm. Will keep for 2 days in an airtight container. To warm, pop in the oven for 5 minutes at 350 degrees.

Appalachian Buttermilk Cornbread

This cornbread is the pinnacle -- it's easy, requires only 4 ingredients, and is always a hit! My grandmother made it and always had it around her house for snacks. The scent of warming buttermilk-laced bread makes me incredibly nostalgic. I share her recipe and technique here.

Note: Remember that trick a couple of posts ago where you make buttermilk using vinegar or lemon juice in regular milk? That will not work with this cornbread. You must use real buttermilk!

First, the ingredients:

1 3/4 cup self-rising flour
1 1/4 cup white cornmeal (yellow will be too sweet)
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp oil (vegetable, olive, canola)

Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

Pour the dry ingredients into a bowl, and mix with a spoon. Add the buttermilk slowly, mixing as you add. Once all of the flour is mixed and the dough is a wet, sticky texture, it is ready.

Coat the inside of an 8-inch cast-iron skillet with the oil, and dump in the dough.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Once the bread has cooled, cut into eighths for serving.

Fluffy and crispy buttermilk drop biscuits

Biscuits were the first thing that I ever learned to make, and buttermilk biscuits are my favorite. These are easy to assemble, mixed by hand, and require no kneading or rolling!

I'll start by giving the ingredients, then the instructions.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup cake flower

1 cup buttermilk (see tip below)*

1/2 stick or 1/4 cup of margarine

1 tbsp baking powder (NOT soda!)

1 tsp salt

cooking spray for the baking sheet

Makes approximately 16 biscuits.

Turn on the oven and heat it to 450 degrees. While it's heating, start putting the ingredients together.

Like most baking recipes, start by mixing the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, which includes both flours, baking powder, and the salt.

With a fork, mash in the margarine until it is very broken up. Finally, add the buttermilk (using the fork is easiest), turning the dough until it resembles a thick paste. It will be very sticky.

Spray a baking sheet, then using a spoon, scoop out the dough and drop it onto the baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between biscuits. Place the sheet onto the top rack of the oven, and bake for 15 minutes. If you do two batches, be aware that the second batch will not take as long, and you should keep an eye on them to prevent burning!

Pull them out and let them cool before plopping onto a platter for serving with butter, jam, honey, etc.

* Tip: Don't have buttermilk on hand? Use regular milk and add two teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar. Give the milk a few minutes to "set" and it will work in the same manner as buttermilk!