This week I'm making buttermilk spiced cupcakes with caramel frosting for Ladytroupe Sweet's Market Day at the embassy and so I decided to make my own buttermilk. Mostly because I can't buy milk some days let alone buttermilk here in Addis Ababa. I stocked up on the freshest cream I could find and plopped 2 cups of it in my blender and turned it on high.
The cream turned to whipped cream then after a minute or so a thin liquid started to emerge as the fat globed together. When I saw the butter globs in the buttermilk I was giddy! I made butter and buttermilk! It is so easy.
I poured the liquid through cheesecloth and collected the buttermilk. Next I spooned the thick glob of wet butter into the cheese cloth and twisted and squeezed as much of the buttermilk out as I could. The precious buttermilk went in the fridge to be used in my cupcakes.
I continued to knead the butter in my hands until barely any liquid squeezed out when I pushed. I rinsed the butter in ice water and squeezed again. The butter went in the freezer for a batch of scones.
Notes: After having gone through this process a second time (for the second batch of cupcakes) I have to let you know that making buttermilk in a food processor is so much easier. The blades just do a much better job of churning the cream and getting all that fat collected. Skip the blender. Do it in your food processor.
3 comments:
So cool. Does this mean I will have extra room in my suitcase when I come or do you still need me to bring butter? Love you and Miss you.
No Meg, you are absolutely still bringing butter with you.Please!!! The best butter here in Addis probably wouldn't be shelf worthy at any grocery store in the States. That includes my own home butter!
I am in awe of all your homemade deliciousness! I know I am very lucky/spoiled to live in El Salvador for our first post, where you can basically buy every food product that exists in America -- maybe not the same brands or quality, but we're not wanting for anything here. Then I worry about what happens when we move somewhere and I have to be more resourceful! But I'm kind of looking forward to experimenting with making things from scratch.
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