Butter

What do you do with extra cream?  You make butter!  

I remember going on a field trip to a farm when I was in grade school and my class made butter with a wooden butter churn.  Well, years later I return to the process, but with new tools - a kitchenaid mixer!  Before I started, I researched a few methods online.  I tried the shaking method, where you fill a glass jar 3/4 full of cream and just shake the bejesus out of it.  It works, I promise!  If you let the cream come to room temperature before you shake it, it's much easier!  Try doing it with a group of people to share the shaking!  I bet little kids would love it.  

If you don't feel like shaking, then try using a kitchenaid mixer.  Start with a whisk attachment on medium speed.  The cream goes through a couple of stages.  First, the cream whips up into whipped cream, then it gets over whipped and starts to smell a little sour, and then the buttery goodness starts to happen!  You start to see the butter solids separate from the buttermilk (this just looks like a watered down milk).  When you see this start to happen, switch to the paddle attachment, it'll make the butter come together more easily.  Continue mixing on medium low speed, and pour out buttermilk whenever you see it accumulating.  You can save the buttermilk if you want!  When the butter comes together you literally have to wash it under cold water until the water coming out of the butter is clear.  You're basically getting all the buttermilk out of the butter so that it won't go rancid when you store it in the fridge.

So easy and so fun!  Try it!  I know you'll like it :)  I mean, come on - who doesn't like butter! And, when it's homemade - it's even better!