Butter (with recipes)

  

While the price of organic butter may be so intimidating many will overlook it in favor of cheaper counterparts, let it be known that butter has the highest pesticide concentrations of any dairy food. Organic butter tastes better, too!  Though many health proponents point their fingers at butter because of its high cholesterol and saturated fat levels, to many of us, butter is too utterly delicious to be given up. Fresh organic butter adds flavor and richness to baked goods, desserts, or a simple piece of toast that simply cannot be replicated by any butter substitute. If the price of organic butter is too much, or the taste of real, authentic fresh butter is desired, butter can be made quite easily at home using organic cream.

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BUTTER IN THE BLENDER

½ pint heavy cream

½ cup ice water

•  Whip cream in blender at high speed. When whipped, add ice water and continue at high speed until butter is formed (this can take a minute or two). Pour butter into sieve to drain. Do not throw away the drippings; use them in cooking. Butter can also be made in the same manner in an electric mixer.
• Makes about ½ cup butter.

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PLUM TORTE

1 cup sugar

8 tablespoons (1 stick) sweet butter, softened

1 cup unbleached flour, sifted

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

2 eggs

24 pitted purple plums, halved

Topping:

Sugar

Lemon juice

Cinnamon

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch spring form pan.                
• Cream sugar and butter. Add flour, baking powder, salt, and eggs. Beat well. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Place plum halves skin side up on top of batter. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and lemon juice, depending upon sweetness of fruit. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, to taste.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Remove and cool. Refrigerate or freeze if desired, or cool to lukewarm.
• Serve plain or with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. To serve frozen torte, defrost and reheat briefly at 300 degrees.
• Serves eight.

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FALL APPLE CAKE

2 cups unbleached white flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1¼ cups sugar

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened

2 eggs

1 cup cold strong coffee

1 teaspoon baking soda

2½ -3 cups tart and firm apples, peeled and sliced

1 cup raisins

1 cup walnuts, chopped

Frosting:

1 cup powdered sugar

3 spoonfuls of the strong coffee made for the cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line a 9x9x2-inch pan with parchment. Sift flour, salt, and spices. Set aside. In a separate large bowl cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs to the creamed mixture and beat well. Dissolve the baking soda in the coffee. Slowly add the flour to the butter and eggs with the coffee. Fold in the apples, raisins, and nuts. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean.
• To make frosting, mix powdered sugar with coffee to desired consistency. Spread on cake. You may garnish it with a few extra nuts on top if you wish.