Blackberry Buttermilk Buttercream & Mother’s Day
Is it possible to make buttercream taste bad? It may be hard to do – but as I debated using buttermilk in place of cream, I was worried the end result would be nasty. Then I remembered my very favorite quote from Julia Child:“The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you’ve got to have a what-the-heCK attitude.” ((although she didn’t say heck)). And so, I poured away. And it wasn’t just good…it was so.very.great.
So — Happy Mother’s Day to all the ladies who have mothered from the heart whether or not genetics was involved! … For we know the ability to mother can only be birthed from the heart. Why else would we endure vomit, spit, snot & poo?
On that note, how about brownies with Blackberry Buttermilk Buttercream for your Mother’s Day dessert??
The homemade blackberry syrup & the tanginess of the buttermilk— mmmmm; it was as if buttermilk & blackberries went on a blind date and eloped all in the same night.
The key to this recipe was to make a homemade blackberry syrup. Once I did that, it was a fine balancing act between adding buttermilk, blackberry syrup & powdered sugar. As you can see, I found the balance.
A few buttercream tips:
• add liquids and dry ingredients incrementally. Don’t use the full amount all at once; if it becomes too runny then you have to play catchup by adding more powdered sugar – and you end up with too much buttercream (which is actually possible). In this case, the blackberry flavor becomes diluted.
• save a teaspoon or two of the blackberry pulp & add it to the buttercream. It adds a pretty detail & identifies it as blackberry. (I didn’t do that this time, but I will do to next time.)
• Don’t do this by hand. A power mixer is the only way to achieve the whipped fluffiness and smooth consistency we all know and love.
I baked some brownies in individual jars to share with the mothers of our family – but the remaining were all mine! ((here is a great brownie recipe))
Just kidding.
- 1 stick, salted butter - room temperature (I prefer Braum's because it's lightly salted)
- 3-4 T buttermilk
- 1-2 t vanilla
- 4 c powdered sugar*
- pinch of sea salt
- 6 oz pkg blackberries, rinsed
- 2T water
- 1 - 1 1/2 T sugar
- Using a power mixer, whip butter, vanilla & 3 c of powered sugar together. ((It will be stiff)) In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine blackberries, sugar and water. Bring to a low simmer for 5 minutes, stir and lightly mash the berries in order to encourage them to release all of their juiciness.
- Remove from the stove, strain & add half of the syrup to the buttercream. Whip on hush to combine, add more buttermilk, syrup & powdered sugar to reach your desired consistency.
- *I added about 3 1/2 c, 2/3 of the syrup & 3 T of buttermilk. But because the amount of syrup made can vary, you will just have to find the right balance for your situation...you can do it! Just remember what Julia Child said!