Make Your Own Butter

The cost of making butter and buttermilk is not cheaper than buying it on sale, but, you will have the fun of making it yourself and seeing the look on your child's face when they see the cream magically turn into butter and separate into the fat and the low calorie buttermilk.

If you want a cup of butter, you will need to buy a quart of heavy cream. If you know a friendly dairy farmer you might even purchase the cream directly from them. Pour the quart of cream into the mixing bowl. Attach the wire whip to the mixer and lower it into the cream. (Side bar: my mixer is a Kitchenaid so my instructions are how I do it.) Turn the mixer on a low setting and start the whipping process. As the cream thickens and gets more and more whipped, increase the speed. Watch it carefully. At some point the fat will come together into butter and what is left over is the buttermilk. Put the butter into a bowl and rinse it with very cold water. This will get rid of any buttermilk residue. Save the buttermilk and use it in recipes that call for it or let your child try it for drinking. It isn't tangy at all because it's made from sweet cream.

Make your own Country Butter: (During World War II people came up with great ways to save money while stretching foods to last longer. This is one of those recipes.) 1 pound margarine, softened (I have also used 1 pound of butter); 1 cup vegetable oil (preferably corn oil); 1 cup buttermilk. Whip these three ingredients together and store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Whipped Butter: This is another way of making butter or margarine stretch. You will need a hand mixer because the butter/margarine needs to be kept extremely cold while it's being whipped and the only way to do this is over ice. First let the butter warm to room temperature and place it in a bowl that has been nestled in ice cubes. Whip the butter or margarine at a high rate of speed until it begins to lighten in color and stop when the butter begins to stick to the beaters.

Honey-Butter: 1/2 cup butter (or Country Butter); 1/2 cup honey; 1/4 cup sugar; 1/4 cup brown sugar, lightly pressed; 1 tsp. cinnamon; 1 tsp. vanilla; 1 Tbsp. heavy cream. Combine these ingredients in a food processor or whip with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Store in closed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Other Sweet Butters: Add any one of these to the Honey-Butter recipe. 1/2 cup chopped strawberries or other berries; 1/2 cup chopped, dried fruit of your choice; 1/4 cup orange juice concentrate; 2 Tbsp. orange marmalade; 1/3 cup whole berry cranberry sauce. Any of these are just great when paired with cream cheese on an english muffin, bagel, toast, pancakes, waffles, etc. etc. etc.

Herb Butter: 1 cup butter (or Country Butter) softened; 1/4 cup chopped parsley; 1 tsp. lemon juice; 1 Tbsp. dill; 1 Tbsp. chopped tarragon; 1 tsp. black pepper; 1/2 tsp. salt. Cream butter and add each item individually, scraping down after each addition. This is great on vegetables, especially corn on the cob and with fish.

Italian Flavored Butter: 1 cup butter (or Country Butter) softened; 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, pressed; 1 Tbsp. oregano; 1 Tbsp. basil; 1 tsp. pepper; 1/2 tsp. salt. Combine and use on green beans, tomatoes, spinach or on pasta.

You can also mix any of these butters with 1/2 cup cottage cheese and use it with crackers as a party spread.
Mix 1 teaspoon herb butters with scrambled eggs just before they are set.
Use herb butter in place of regular butter in white sauce to make it more interesting.
Use 1 tablespoon of herb butter inside a chicken breast or rolled up in fish before broiling.

Fondue Cheese Sauce: 1 cube butter (1/2 cup); 1 (8 oz.) container sour cream; 1 (8 oz.) jar cheez whiz; 1 (10 oz) can cheddar cheese soup. In saucepan, on medium heat, melt butter and with a wire whisk, add each ingredient, one at a time, until thoroughly blended. Excellent for cheese fondue, as a base for macaroni and cheese or served with vegetables.

Instant White Sauce Mix: 2 cups instant nonfat dry milk; 1 cup flour; 1 tsp. salt; 1 cup vegetable shortening or butter. Mix the dry ingredients and cut the butter in with a pastry blender or in a food processor. Store in a tightly closed container. If you are using butter, store the mix in the refrigerator. If using vegetable shortening it will keep on the pantry shelf in dry weather for up to 6 months. When making white sauce add the liquid to the dry ingredients to keep it lump free. To use: 1/2 cup mix to 1/2 cup liquid or until sauce is the consistency you like.

Alfredo Sauce Mix: (For Alfredo Sauce Mix it is best to make the white sauce mix with butter instead of shortening. The butter gives it richer flavor). 1/2 cup instant white sauce mix; 3 cloves garlic, pressed; 1/2 cup grated parmesean or romano cheese; 1 cup light cream; Pasta of your choice. Assemble the ingredients and have them ready to mix into the hot pasta just before serving. Cook and strain the pasta then return to the pan. Turn off heat. One by one add the ingredients, mixing and tossing well after each addition. Serve.