I had miscalculated and ordered way more buttermilk from our local food co-op than what I could use in a reasonable amount of time, so to whittle down my excess stock... which wasn't yet beyond its expiration date, pudding came to mind. An Internet search produced a recipe from Simply Recipes.
The buttermilk provides a slight hint of lemon flavor... very, very nice.
Buttermilk Pudding
2 tsp powdered gelatin (I used 2 tsp ChillOver Powder* (agar agar) produced by MaryJanesFarm.)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup sugar (I used 1/3 cup. Next time, I will try reducing to 1/4 cup.)
½ tsp vanilla
2 cups cultured buttermilk**
Mix the gelatin with 2 tbsp of water in a small bowl and set aside. (If using agar agar, omit this step.) Put the cream and sugar into a small saucepan and heat over low heat. Once the sugar has dissolved remove from heat and add the gelatin (or agar agar) to the warm cream mixture. Stir until the gelatin has dissolved. (If using agar agar, simmer gently over low heat for 3 minutes.) Once the cream has cooled to room temperature, add the vanilla and buttermilk and stir. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to catch any bits of undissolved gelatin. Pour the mixture into ramekins, about ½ cup per ramekin. (The pudding is very rich.) Chill to set for at least four hours. Serves 6.
*ChillOver Powder is kanten (agar agar), an odorless powdered sea vegetable that can be used as an alternative to Knox Gelatin.
**The cultured buttermilk is not heated, therefore its probiotic goodness is not compromised.