butter

It occurred to me recently, that, when baking, it might be more cost-effective to make the butter, rather than buying unsalted. So I bought a carton of cream (less than a block of unsalted butter), brought it home, and went to work.

The recipe I found online suggested using a mixer with a whisk attachment, rather than putting it in a jar and shaking. This was absurdly easy--I got to sit at the table and browse Craftster while the mixer did the work. Then I strained it, rinsed it, squeezed it out, and there it is. Butter.

I think we might have tried this when I was a kid, making butter at home in a jar as one of our homeschooling adventures. I don't remember for sure, though. I do remember learning to make a bread with a sponge and homemade ice cream. At any rate, I now have unsalted butter and buttermilk. From not quite a litre of cream (since some of it got used earlier), I got approximately 300 g (10 oz) of butter and 2 cups of buttermilk. Time to make buttermilk cookies, since I promised the husband I'd bake something.