Home Made Crème Fraiche

This is the instant version and it was fab too!

Every once in a while a recipe I'd like to make calls for creme fraiche.  My local market doesn't sell it, so when I learned you could make it yourself, I jumped at it.  What can I say?  I'm a Yankee.  There are specialty markets around that sell it, but it can be expensive, and why make a special trip when you can make it yourself, very easily?  And it's not as if you're making a substitute, this is the real thing.  The recipes came from the regional cookbook, Marblehead Cooks.  Creme fraiche has a slightly tangy taste and a velvety, luxurious texture that can really dress up a dish.  I love all things cool and creamy and where that is concerned, creme fraiche is just the Belle of the ball.  If a doctor ever told me I was lactose intolerant, I might actually want to shoot myself.

This took about 18 hours to thicken

Home Made Crème Fraiche

1 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons buttermilk

Combine cream and buttermilk in a glass jar and whisk until well blended.  Cover and let stand at room temperature in a draft-free area, whisking several times, until mixture has thickened (about 24 hours).  Chill thoroughly before using.  Crème fraiche will keep covered in a refrigerator for 10 days to 2 weeks.


Instant Crème Fraiche

1 cup whipping cream, whipped with 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

3-4 tablespoons sour cream

Fold whipped cream into sour cream.  Cover and chill until serving time.  Instant Crème Fraiche will keep covered in refrigerator for 1-2 days.

     10 Easy Uses of Crème Fraiche:

1. On toast with jam or smoked salmon and capers
2. Anywhere you would use whipped cream, or whipped together in equal parts with whipped cream
3. Add a dollop on soup (hot or cold)
4. Add a dollop on scrambled eggs or an omelet
5. Add a dollop on a baked potato
6. Add a dollop on fresh berries or cooked fruit (baked apples, bananas foster, grilled peaches)
7. Add a tablespoon to pesto before you toss it with pasta
8. Stir in horseradish with a squeeze of fresh lime as a topping for fish or roast beef
9. Add a spoonful to sauteed mushrooms and shallots for a creamy finish
10. Stir together 1 1/2 cups creme fraiche with 1 1/2 cups gruyere cheese and pour over 3 pounds peeled, thinly sliced potatoes for a lovely gratin (bake 1 hour at 350).