Homemade Butter and Butter with Rosemary
Today was a very busy day for me and, in search of a quick and delicious solution, I decided to prepare a flavored butter that would perfectly match the bread rolls I cooked for a vegetable burger. I made two types of butter, each with a different preparation method and distinct flavors. For the simple butter, I used a small electric chopper that works on the principle of a food processor, while for the salted and flavored butter, I opted for a hand mixer, which gave me better control over the texture.
Starting with the simple butter, I poured 150 ml of cream into the electric chopper and turned on the machine. After about 3 minutes, the volume of the cream doubled, turning into a fluffy whipped cream. I let the machine run, and the whipped cream began to decrease in volume, becoming grainy. This is the stage when the butter started to form, and in the end, I obtained 65 grams of butter from this amount of cream. I stopped the machine and strained the butter through a cheesecloth, thus removing the whey. I squeezed the cheesecloth a bit to drain the excess whey and transferred the resulting butter into a small bowl. With the help of a spatula, I spread the butter on the walls of the bowl to eliminate any remaining traces of whey. I obtained a compact mass of butter that I placed in a small dish and put it in the fridge. I enjoyed this simple butter alongside fresh bread and dandelion honey, a delicacy that I prepare at home. The whole process took about 10 minutes, and the result was as expected.
To prepare the flavored and salted butter, I proceeded differently. I chose a narrower and taller vessel to avoid splattering. I added salt and well-crushed dried rosemary to the cream, according to my taste. I started whipping the mixture with the hand mixer, and after the first 3 minutes, I obtained a dense whipped cream. I continued to whip, and the whipped cream became stiffer, making the mixer harder to handle. After about 5 minutes, I felt that the volume of the mixture was decreasing, and the consistency was becoming grainy, indicating that the butter was starting to form. After an additional 2-3 minutes, the butter separated from the whey, which I strained again through the cheesecloth. I squeezed the butter well, put it back in the vessel, and spread the mixture on the walls of the vessel, making sure to remove all the whey. I shaped the butter into a small log using plastic wrap and placed it in the fridge. This flavored butter was perfect with toasted bread and a fresh salad of raw vegetables. It was a real delicacy! The entire process also took 10 minutes, but the satisfaction was worth it.
Ingredients: For plain butter: 150 ml of unsweetened 36% fat whipping cream. For salted and flavored butter: 300 ml of unsweetened whipping cream, salt to taste, a pinch of rosemary (or any other aromatic essence you desire - dill, dried and ground ham, etc.).
