Making butter at home using a Vitamix blender

Here’s how I make homemade butter using a Vitamin blender. Using 500 ml store bought whipping cream, it yielded 200 grams of butter and 1 cup of buttermilk.

1. Place the cream in the blender and whip using the variable setting. I start with speed 1 and slowly up to 5 or 6. Stop once you can see the cream has the texture of whipped cream.
2. I used the tamper to push the cream into the bottom and centre and started again until the cream starts to separate. This may take about 2 minutes at speed 5 to 6 on the variable setting.
3. Observe the cream until butter forms in the middle and you can see the buttermilk separate. Stop the blender at this point.
4. Put in a big glass bowl. Strain the buttermilk and set aside.
5. Start rinsing the butter until the water runs clear about 5 to 6 times. Take the time to mix the butter with a rubber scraper to expose any buttermilk trapped within the butter.
6. Keep churning the butter until all the buttermilk is drained from the butter mass.
7. Using parchment paper ball the butter, weight and wrap. You can use it right away or separate into smaller portion for freezing.

This butter is best used for eating and not baking.

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Waffle Birthday Cake

Here’s a different twist on a traditional layered birthday cake, I made it using 4 round Belgian waffles. It’s kid-friendly to assemble! For this one, I chose a special Belgian Waffle recipe that is tasty just on its own. I added maple syrup in-between layers to keep the waffles moist. To finish off I iced the “cake” with chocolate ganache and decorated with mini candy-coated chocolate bits.

Here’s all the layers of waffles after brushing  maple syrup in between layers and adding ganache on the cake sides.

Here’s a picture of the waffle cake of what was left from a birthday party.

Tips

1. The trick to making light waffles is to add whipped egg whites to incorporate air into the batter.
2. Freeze the waffles ahead to save time. Adding the maple syrup to a thawed waffle will help keep the moistness of the waffles.
3. Use a serrated knife or bread knife to slice the cake.

Ganache Recipe

• ½ cups heavy cream
• 12 oz semi-sweet chopped chocolate (or 50-60% cocoa)

1. Scald the cream.
2. Take off heat.
3. Add chocolate. Let it sit for 2 minutes.
4. Mix. until well blended.

For frosting cake: Leave at room temperature overnight

For truffle: Leave in refrigerator overnight.

Ice cake: Use in liquid form.

Spaghetti Squash Quick Meal

Another savoury dish that is quick, easy, and healthy based on this recipe. I changed it according to what freshest ingredients I had on hand and to taste. It is almost like a salad best served at room temperature. You can keep the leftovers in the fridge and heat up later but I find that it was not as well-received in the family as when it was first served.

Ingredients:

• Spaghetti squash – roasted cut side down with a bit of oil (bake at approx. 30 minutes of until done)
• bacon bits (to add some crunch and savoury taste)
• sliced olives
• tomato wedges – cherry or grape tomatoes
• grated cheese (I used French Gruyère)
• olive oil – the good kind you would use in salads

1. Roast the spaghetti squash in the oven, cut side down.
2. Scoop out the spaghetti squash flesh using a big spoon but keeping the long strands to resemble “spaghetti noodles”.
3. Add the bacon bits, sliced black olive, fresh tomatoes and grated cheese.
4. Drizzle with olive oil.

Best served at room temperature.

 

Blueberry Tart on Puff Pastry

What to do with bucketful of blueberries after picking fresh from the farm? A quick and easy dessert with puff pastry and fresh blueberries. This dessert was inspired from this Blueberry Tart recipe. Mine turned out smaller but the taste is wonderfully light and sweet with a bit of tanginess from the cream cheese and lemon.

I suggest you follow the recipe from the source. With the smaller puff pastry, I adjusted the cream filling proportionately.