Homemade Butter

Makes about 1 1/3 cups.
This recipe calls for a mixer, but you don’t need one. In class we made butter by placing 2 cups of cream in a quart-sized sealed jar and shaking it for about 15 minutes. It’s a workout but pretty fun!

4 cups heavy cream
Kosher salt
Maldon salt, for sprinkling on top

1. Place the cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Place plastic wrap around the top of the mixing bowl, sealing it to the top of the mixer, so that the cream, and later the buttermilk, doesn’t whip out of the bowl and all over the kitchen.

2. Whip on medium speed to thicken. Then whip on medium-high until suddenly the mixture thickens into yellow butter solids and a translucent liquid or buttermilk, roughly 5 to 8 minutes more.

3. Set a strainer over a bowl. Pour the butter and buttermilk into the strainer. (Save the buttermilk and use it in place of water in soups, breads, or smoothies.) Knead the butter on a cutting board or wrap in cheese cloth and squeeze to remove excess buttermilk. (You can dunk the butter in ice water to rinse off the excess buttermilk.) Sprinkle with salt and knead to combine. Place butter into container and top with Maldon sea salt. Butter will keep for about 1 week in the refrigerator.