Ingredients
- Brandy Butter:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup superfine sugar
- 3 tablespoons brandy
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Makes 3/4 cup
- First cream the butter until light and fluffy; then beat in the sugar a little at a time. When the mixture is very white and frothy, beat in the brandy and vanilla.
- Chocolate Butter:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted after measuring*
- 2 tablespoons chopped nuts, optional
- Makes 1 cup
- You can reduce the sugar for a less sweet butter.
- Cinnamon Butter:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup honey (substitute superfine sugar if you don’t like honey)
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon (you can add more to taste)
- Makes 1.5 cups
- Cranberry Butter:
- 1 cup butter
- 1/3 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (optional)
- Makes 1.5 cups
- Great for pancakes and waffles.
- Ginger Orange Butter:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup orange marmalade, melted over low heat
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon crystallized ginger, finely chopped
- Honey Butter:
- 1 cup butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
- Makes 1.5 cups
- Honey Vanilla Butter:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Makes 1.5 cups
- First cream the butter with the honey. Slowly add the whipping cream, beating constantly until the mixture is fluffy. Then add the vanilla.
- Maple Butter:
- 1 cup butter
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- A delight at breakfast.
- Mint Butter:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint or 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- Try this with chocolate bread or muffins.
- Orange Butter:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
- Pecan Butter:
- 1 cup butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
- Strawberry Butter:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup puréed strawberries or 2 tablespoons of strawberry preserves (not jelly or jam)
- 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar*
- 1 teaspoon grated orange peel or 1
- teaspoon fresh lime juice
- Makes 1 cup
- We prefer this butter less sweet, but more sugar can be added based on personal preference and the amount of sweetness in the strawberries or preserves.
Preparation
Step 1
There’s nothing that adds more festivity to bread than flavored butter—think of strawberry butter with brunch breads and pancakes, garlic bread, herbed butters and anchovy butter on canapés. They seem so “special occasion,” yet they’re simple to make. There’s a seemingly endless variety: You can add herbs, spices, nuts, fruits...even chocolate and candy.
The recipe for all flavored butters is the same: soften unsalted butter to room temperature and blend in the flavor ingredients with an electric mixer, beating at medium speed until completely blended (1 to 2 minutes). Use only fresh herbs and lemon or lime juice. Let the butter stand for an hour in a cool place, covered, so the flavors can develop; then refrigerate to harden. This creates what is known in the industry as a compound butter—ready to use whenever the chef wants to add flavor to a dish. To learn more about compound butter and how they are used, read our review of Epicurean Butter, a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week.
Before refrigerating, you can roll the butter into logs with wax paper; press it into molds to create stars or other shapes; create balls with butter paddles; or simply press it into ramekins for serving. Butter can be made several days in advance of use; or it can be frozen for up to three weeks. Wrap it very tightly before refrigerating or freezing, in double layers of plastic wrap and freezer bags, since butter absorbs other flavors and odors like a sponge.