Cooking with Buttermilk

October 2004

Something about buttermilk brings to mind good old-fashioned home cooking. Biscuits are probably number one on everyone's list, but buttermilk has many different applications in the galley.  You might be surprised to learn there is no butter, per se, in buttermilk, and it is lower in fat than regular milk. One cup of buttermilk has 99 calories and 2.2 grams of fat, whereas whole milk has 157 calories and 8.9 grams of fat. For those watching their caloric and/or fat intake, try putting a couple of tablespoons of buttermilk on your baked potato or in mashed potatoes in lieu of sour cream or butter. You'll get both the butter flavor and the slight tang of sour cream with a fraction of the calories.


 

Oven Baked Buttermilk Chicken

 

1 envelope Golden Onion Soup Mix

1 Cup Flour

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup Buttermilk

3 Pounds Chicken, Cut up

1/4 Cup Margarine or butter, Melted

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine soup mix and flour - set aside. Beat eggs with buttermilk. Dip chicken in buttermilk, then flour - coating well. Place in large shallow baking pan, on rack, and chill 30 minutes. Drizzle with butter or margarine, then bake 45 minutes or until well done.

 

Griddle Scones

 

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup butter, melted

 

Stir together buttermilk and butter, add dry ingredients and stir. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead 4 times. Divide dough into two rounds - cut each round into 4 wedges. Dust in flour and cook on griddle over low heat for 3 minutes. Increase heat to moderate and cook until scones are puffed and golden brown (about five minutes more). Turn over and cook about 5 minutes on other side. 

Crème Fraiche

 

Crème Fraiche is a thick cream used in sauces and soups and as a condiment for everything from fresh fruits to caviar.

 

Mix 1 cup heavy cream with 2 T. buttermilk in a glass jar. Let stand at room temperature for 8 to 24 hours or until thickened. Stir well and refrigerate. Use within 10 days.

 

Banana Upside Down Cake

 

3 each bananas

2 Cups sugar

4 Tablespoons Butter (1/2 Stick)

1 1/2 Cups Flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Cup Butter, Melted

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup Buttermilk

1 teaspoon Vanilla

 

Preheat oven to 325. Cut bananas in quarters. Melt 1 Cup sugar with 2 T. water over high heat until sugar caramelizes. When the Carmel is dark amber, add butter. Pour mixture into an 8-inch cake pan. Arrange bananas in the Carmel, cut side down. Mix remaining sugar, melted butter, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Pour batter over bananas and bake 50 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and then invert onto plate