For the Love of Butter

By Tracy Carpenter

Butter just makes everything better, don't you think? Well, I surely do. Compound butters takes food to the next level! Making compound butter is simple, but the results are fabulous.

If you have an abundance of summer herbs to use up, or if you're looking for an easy way to add bold flavor to your cooking, try making compound butter. I know it all sounds fancy, but compound butter is easy to make. It's just butter mixed with herbs and seasonings.

You can use any number of herbs or fruit and then use the butter in all sorts of ways. Dot it onto sweet corn, top a baked potato, stir it into pasta or garnish a steak or chicken breast with it. You really can't go wrong. Hopefully reading these recipes will butter you up enough so you will try one or two of them. These recipes can be cut in half, but why would you want to?

Lemon Raspberry Honey Butter

1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1/4 cup marshmallow creme

zest of 1 medium lemon

5 tablespoons raspberry jam

pinch of salt

In a large bowl or the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, whip all the ingredients together until thoroughly combined.

Serving Suggestions: We love to toast a slice of pound cake and spread this butter on top! Heaven on a plate. Other ideas...serve with bread, rolls, over French toast, pancakes, or waffles.

NOTE: I did not level my tablespoons of jam.

Maple Pecan Butter

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

½ tablespoon white vanilla flavoring (optional)

¼ cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/3 cup pecans, chopped and roasted

Cream together the butter, syrup, flavoring, and powdered sugar. Stir in the pecans. Place on parchment paper or in an airtight container. Try on Hawaiian rolls, toast, or biscuits... If you want to impress your friends or family, have this available to liven up store bought pecan pinwheels. Refrigerate.

Tarragon Citrus Butter

2 sticks salted butter, softened

1 tablespoon chopped tarragon

1 tablespoons lemon juice

½ tablespoon lemon zest

1 teaspoons orange juice

1 teaspoons orange zest

pinch black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Using a rubber spatula or mixer, fold the mixture until fully combined. Transfer to a sheet of parchment paper, wax paper or saran wrap and roll into a tube-like shape and twist each of the ends. Refrigerate until firm.

This flavor is good on chicken or shrimp.

Herbed Butter

2 stick salted butter, room temperature

4 cloves garlic shredded

4 tsp lemon zest

4 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped

4 tbsp fresh chives finely chopped

4 tbsp fresh rosemary finely chopped

Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix until well combined. Transfer the butter to a sheet of plastic wrap, and form into a log. Twist to seal at both ends. Refrigerate until butter is firm. Season your steak with this one or try making a grilled cheese with it.

NOTES:

It takes about an hour for refrigerated butter to come to room temperature. Do not allow butter to soften too much. Store the butter in the refrigerator. For longer storage, place in the freezer. Before you put it in the freezer, pre-slice the butter roll and place squares of parchment paper between each disk. This way you can take out only the amount you need.