Buttermilk (with recipe)

    

In foregone times, buttermilk was the natural by-product of butter making. As cream was churned, butter separated from it, leaving a thick, low-fat acidulous milk flecked with bits of butter. This was drained off by removing a plug from the bottom of the churn. Today’s buttermilk usually has nothing to do with butter. It is an imitation of what it used to be, and is made from skim milk with culture added to give acidity, and flecks of butter thrown in for nostalgia’s sake. It is a healthful product, low in fat, high in calcium – but it is not buttermilk! Certified raw buttermilk is to be preferred over the pasteurized kind – if you can find it.

            Buttermilk is often recommended for pregnant and nursing women. Although it is low in fat, it provides the acid and enough fat to increase absorption of much-needed calcium and is high in B vitamins.

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BUTTERMILK WAFFLES

1 cup stone-ground whole wheat flour

1 cup unbleached white flour

¹/₃ cup toasted wheat germ

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1½ teaspoon baking soda

4 tablespoons ( ½ stick) butter

3 large eggs

2 cups buttermilk

• Mix all dry ingredients together. Melt butter and cool. Beat the eggs and add to buttermilk. Mix together with cooled butter. Add wet mixture to the dry and mix together. Do not overmix. Ladle appropriate amount of batter onto heated waffle iron. Cook until firm and somewhat crisp.
• Serves four to six.

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ORANGE MINI-MUFFINS

¾ cup sugar

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

Zest and juice of one orange (use an organic orange to avoid the potential

            for dye)

½ cup sugar (optional, for topping)

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter miniature muffin tins. With electric mixer, cream the sugar and butter until smooth. Add eggs and beat until fluffy. Add baking soda to the buttermilk.
• Sift flour and salt, then add to the sugar-butter mix alternately with the buttermilk. Stir well. Add zest. Spoon into the tins. Bake until golden brown and firm to touch, about 12 minutes. Remove to cooling racks.
• Place tins close together. Brush tops with orange juice and sprinkle with sugar while still warm. After 5 minutes, turn muffins out of pans. If you don’t want them to be sweet, you can eliminate the sugar topping.
• Makes at least 2 dozen mini-muffins.