Step 1

You can do this method using a stand mixer, a hand-held mixer, or even with a whisk (if you have a lot of muscle and patience).

Step 2

Place the cream either in a stand mixer or in a large glass jar (using a hand-held mixer) and mix the cream. It will become whipped cream before becoming stiffer and finally, it will become butter - where the fat solids will separate from the buttermilk liquids.

Step 3

Drain the buttermilk from the butter, squeezing the butter well to get out as much of the buttermilk as possible.

Step 4

Wash the butter to remove all the remaining buttermilk - this is important as it will have an impact on the shelf life and flavor of the butter. To do this I fill a bowl with ice-water, add the butter to the water and squeeze it well in between your hands to squeeze out as much of the buttermilk as possible.

Step 5

Rinse the butter, to get off any remaining buttermilk residue.

Step 6

With a small paring knife, cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and use the back of the knife to scrape out all of the seeds and add it to a bowl with the butter and mix well to thoroughly combine.

Step 7

You could also do this in your stand mixer or with a blender to quickly mix the vanilla butter.

Step 8

Once prepared, either transfer the vanilla butter to an airtight container or scoop it onto a piece of parchment paper/plastic wrap, shape it into a 1-inch log, and wrap it like a Christmas cracker, twisting the ends.

Step 9

Refrigerate the butter until you're ready to use it.

Step 10

Store the vanilla butter in the fridge for between 1-2 weeks. Alternatively, you can also freeze the butter for up to 6 months.