Thanks guys, keep 'em coming!
The first thing I'll try are buttermilk biscuits. I hesitated until I realised American biscuits aren't the same as British biscuits but rather like scones--which is more or less exactly what I was looking for to go with the butter, the apple butter, the clotted cream and the diabetes. Next up either cornbread or something sweet
Someone on another forum provided this recipe:
I use it in an apple oven-pancake. So delicious! I'll see if I can get you the recipe.
Edit: Here it is:
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
Apple mixture:
4 medium cooking apples, peeled, thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Batter:
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons oil or melted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs 1 tablespoon cinnamon-sugar
Maple-flavored syrup, if desired
- Heat oven to 450°F. In oven, melt 3 tblsp. butter in 10-inch ovenproof or cast-iron skillet, about 2 minutes. Add apples, brown sugar and cinnamon; toss to coat apples. (Pan will be very hot.) Bake 2 minutes longer; stir. Bake 3 minutes longer; stir again. Reduce oven temperature to 400°F.
- In large bowl, beat flour, baking powder, salt, oil (or butter), granulated sugar, buttermilk, lemon juice, vanilla and eggs with whisk or fork until blended. Pour over apples.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Cut into wedges. Drizzle with syrup. Serve immediately.
Makes 8 servings
I tend to start the apples on the stovetop instead of in the oven, and I usually substitute brown sugar for the regular sugar in the batter and we don't use any maple syrup, but it is always one of my boyfriend's favorite Sunday morning treats.
Looks freakin' delicious... I'll have to find a suitable pan, I suppose. And omnomnom it with clotted cream :o
A gentleman suggested the following:
Buttermilk is a central ingredient in a cold cucumber soup I've made frequently. It's a great summer soup:
1.5 med cucumbers
1/2 tsp chopped parsley
1/4 cup celery, chopped
2 tablespoons snipped dill
white part of 2 scallions
1 quart of buttermilk
1 pint of half/half sour cream (reduced fat sour cream works)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt to taste
1/2 cucumber for garnish
Peel cucumbers, cut open and remove seeds. Blend first seven ingredients together in batches. Stir lemon juice and salt into soup. Chill. Serve cold with paprike or red pepper and chopped cucumber garnish.
(And is buttermilk uniquely American?)
Making your own ingredients is fun, even more so when you have good ideas for using them :) what ingredient should one try next, hmmm. Perhaps ghee, from the next batch.