buttermilk

After eating my way through the cupcake craze, I'm ready to put my muffin tins away and dust off the cake pans that have been sitting at the back of my cupboards.

Don't get me wrong: I love a tiny handheld treat. But there's something very satisfying slicing into — and serving — a full-sized cake.

This time of year, I want something that goes well with a cup of tea or a scoop of fresh berries, something that makes me feel like a real hostess when friends drop in. So when I came across a recipe for a glazed lemon buttermilk cake, I knew I had found the perfect match.

The cake is moist and tangy, thanks to the addition of vegetable oil and buttermilk, but it's the lemon glaze that gives it a real lemony kick. It's great as a dessert, but I enjoy it most as a midafternoon excuse to put off doing laundry for just a little bit longer! For the recipe, just keep reading.

If you're not a fan of pumpkin desserts but want to stun guests with a seasonal finish, make this buttermilk spice cake with walnut cream cheese frosting. It's layers of moist-fluffy cake with smooth-rich frosting and a nice crunch from the toasted walnuts. The combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice is found in classic pumpkin pie, and here it's used in the buttermilk-based cake batter. However, without the over powering pumpkin puree, the rich, nutty, and earthy flavor of the spices is found in each bite of cake. Bake and assemble the day before you plan on serving it, because it tastes even better the second day! To experiment with this cake, get the recipe after the jump.

A long time ago, I was watching Martha Stewart, and she mentioned that her favorite ice cream was buttermilk flavored. For some reason, I've always remembered this, and when I purchased an ice cream maker, I was determined to make it. However, I got distracted by more glamorous flavors, strawberry, mint chip, vanilla bean, and only recently remembered my desire to try Martha's buttermilk ice cream.

Boy, does Martha know what she is talking about: this was one of the best ice creams I've ever tasted. It's creamy, but sorbet-like, tangy, and rich. One guest described it like frozen pound cake. Another simply could not stop mmm-ing. And me? I'm still dreaming of this lusciously wonderful ice cream. Although you need an ice cream maker, the recipe is shockingly easy. Learn it when you read more.

As much as I love sticky, sweet barbecued chicken, there're only so many times you can eat it during the Summer. That's why I recently looked for an alternative to barbecue sauce and decided to give this buttermilk-marinated grilled chicken a chance.

The buttermilk, which is seasoned with lots of garlic cloves and fresh rosemary sprigs, tenderizes the chicken. The key to making this chicken succulent and moist is to take care and not overcook it.

Although the recipe calls for a whole chicken, I had skinless breasts in the freezer, so I used those instead. However, when I make this savory and scrumptious chicken again, I'll be using skin-on pieces because I think it will enhance the overall flavor of the dish. It's a great seasonal entree, so learn how to make it now.

At his sous vide seminar in Aspen, Momofuku chef David Chang urged us not to fear the buttermilk. "Buttermilk is just cultured milk!" he exclaimed — at which point I realized that I knew very little about the stuff.

Although they are both rich, creamy dairy items, the term buttermilk refers to two different products. There's old-fashioned buttermilk, which is the thin liquid left over after the natural process of butter being churned. It's acidic and often has flakes of butter still floating in it. Then there's cultured buttermilk, the thick and creamy fermented milk product that Chang was referring to, and what's typically seen sold in cartons at the supermarket. Sometimes called artificial buttermilk, it contains no butter. It is created by adding a lactic acid bacterial culture to dairy to ferment it, resulting in a tangy flavor and a thicker consistency.

Buttermilk is a popular ingredient in biscuits, scones, and fried chicken batter. (Chang likes to make a buttermilk dressing.) Since it typically has a longer shelf life than regular milk, buttermilk can be a good investment. However, in a pinch, one can make acidified buttermilk, a product made by adding acid such as lemon juice to regular milk. Do you use buttermilk?

Source: Flickr User jeffreyw

When planning a meal for a particular person — say, your mom for Mother's Day — be sure to make food that she loves. My mom spent some time living in New Orleans, and over a recent brunch, she devoured a plate of melt-in-your-mouth beignets. Thus this weekend, for the dessert to a special brunch in her honor, I'm going to whip up some buttermilk beignets. The dough can be made up to eight hours before frying. This is a classic recipe that's finished with a generous coat of confectioners' sugar. To check it out, read more