Homemade Butter!

I hosted another Sunday Brunch today, and treated my guests to a treat of homemade butter that I made just before they came -- and dude, that butter was frackin' delicious on the pancakes.

I took 2 cups of cold heavy cream (straight from the fridge) in a bowl and used an electric hand mixer on it at it's slowest setting and watched it undergo its various transmutations:

• After about 4 minutes the mixture started to get a little thicker and started to resemble a flat whipped cream, with many air bubbles forming on the surface.
• After 6-7 minutes, it seemed like a full bodied whipped cream, having expanded in volume some.
• At 8-9 minutes it suddenly started to harden quickly and turned into a cottage cheese consistency within seconds. I thought I was done, but there was no liquid separating from it so I kept going.
  
• A few more minutes and it started to yellow, and liquid started forming in the bottom. I kept at it for another minute until it seemed like no more milk was separating from the butter.
• I then poured the chunky liquid mess into a cheese cloth of a bowl and squeezed it to get most of the liquid out. I then saved this liquid and used it for pancakes.
• I then took some ice water in a bowl and rinsed the bar of butter that I formed in it to get the residual milk off.

What I was left with had an incredible taste on pancakes... especially if it's not fully melted... the thin slices of butter sandwiched between the pancakes and syrup were mouth-gasmic.

New England Clam Chowder

This is a HUGE amount for us NECC lovers, half the recipe for a more manageable amount.


Ingredients:

• 1 package bacon (12 slices, diced)
• 4 med onions (about 4 cups diced)
• 4 tbsp butter
• 7 potatoes (about 10 cups cubed)
• 3-4 cups water
• 4 cups half and half
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 44 oz minced clams
• Salt, pepper and dill

Directions:

1. Dice 12 slices of bacon into squares and cook in a large pot until almost crisp (over low-medium heat if ingredients are piled over each other.)
2. Add 4 medium onions (about 4 cups diced) and continue cooking until onion caramelize and bacon is crisp.
3. Add 4 tbsp butter and 4 tbsp flour and mix to form a roux.
4. Add 7 cubed potatoes (about 10 cups diced, we didn't peel ours).
5. Add about 3-4 cups of water, to almost cover ingredients. Cook 20 minutes covered.
6. Add 4 cups half and half and 2 cups heavy cream.
   
7. Add 40 oz of minced clams with their juice. And cook for another 5 minutes without boiling.

Salt, pepper and dill to taste. Serve with toasty bread!

This soup will win you many honors and awards.