START TO FINISH: 10 minutes MAKES: 1⅔ cups
1 qt. whipping cream*
½ tsp. sea salt or kosher salt (optional)
1. Place the cream in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat the cream on medium-high about 8 minutes or until the fat and liquid separate. (Place a towel over the mixer to avoid getting splashed toward the end of mixing.)
2. Line a large sieve with a double layer at 100%-cotton cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Pour the mixture through the sieve. Gather the cheesecloth around the butter and squeeze to get as much of the liquid out as possible. (Reserve buttermilk for another use.)
3. If desired, place butter in a medium bowl and use a rubber spatula to knead in salt. Pat butter with a paper towel to remove any excess liquid. Transfer the butter to a piece of parchment paper or waxed paper. Form into a log or square, wrap, and chill until ready to use or up to 2 weeks.
*Recipe Note: If using ultra-pasteurized whipping cream, it may take longer to beat before the butter separates from the liquid (about 12 minutes total).
PER 1 TBSP. BUTTER: 102 cal., 12 g fat (7 g sat. fat), 31 mg chol., 2 mg sodium, 0 g carb., 0 g fiber, 0 g pro.
1. Beat the cream on medium-high speed. Hold a towel around the bowl to minimize spattering, especially when the butter and buttermilk separate.
2. Transfer the buttermilk and butter to a cheesecloth-lined sieve. Use a rubber scraper to remove the butter from the whisk attachment.
3. Pull the edges of the cheesecloth up around the butter and squeeze out as much of the buttermilk as possible.