Complex Butters

Complex Butters can be used to make good food amazing, without much effort at all! The best part is, you can chill the butter in a bowl for easy usage, you can press the room temperature butter into candy molds so once chilled you have fun shapes (great for kids), or you can roll it into a log like shape with plastic wrap, so you can slice it when using it. There are no limitations, and these are simple and yummy! -- I like to use salted butter -- no margarine, no substitutes, no X% vegetable oils -- only real butter. You can use unsalted too, I am just a salt junkie!

Blueberry Butter

1 cup Fresh BlueBerries, washed

2 Sticks Butter, Room Temperature

2 tbsp Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

1 tbsp Honey

Rinse the blueberries and place into a large freezer bag. Crush the blueberries with a rolling pin, to release some juices and open the berries up -- you do not have to puree them. Add the sugar to this and pour the contents of the bag into a mixing bowl. add the honey and vanilla, and fold in the room temperature butter. You can roll this into plastic wrap or mold the butter with your favorite candy molds to create fun shapes. Chill for 4 hours. Pictured spread over a warm pancake! Yumm!!!

Strawberry Butter

1 container Frozen Strawberries in Syrup, thawed

2 sticks Butter -room temp

Pretty simple here! Fold them together, chill for at least 4 hours! Yummy on waffles and toast ;)

Pictured spread over a warm pancake! Again -- Yum!!!

Frozen Strawberries in Syrup -- thawed = strawberries and juice! Strain the berries from the juice to make the complex butter (same with the blueberries especailly if using frozen) and use the juice to make an amazing martini! 3 parts vodka 2 parts strawberry juice and a squeeze of fresh lime ... YUMMMM!

Garlic Chive Butter

1/2 cup Chives, minced

2 cloves minced Garlic

1 tsp Parsley Flakes

1 stick Butter, room temperature

The pattern is clear! Fold these together and chill before serving. Yum!

Honey Butter

1 stick Butter, room temperature

5 tbsp Honey

Mix all together until creamy and smooth and store in fridge. Use on toasts, pancakes, or even bagels! Great as an add-on flavor for any sweet bread!

Add cinnamon for cinnamon honey butter!

Balsamic and Crushed Black Pepper Butter

2 tbsp Reduced Balsamic

2 Sticks Butter

1 tsp Black Peppercorns, crushed (you can your ground black pepper)

2 cloves Garlic, minced

Reducing Balsamic -- we've gone over this but I love to make sure you understand it! In a small sauce pan, pour about 1 cup of balsamic vinegar, and let this heat over medium heat for about 12-15 minutes. Check to ensure you achieve a syrup consistency, remove from heat! Add the reduction in a mixing bowl, along with the pepper and garlic. Fold in the butter and chill for 4 hours. This is a fabulous, absolutely yummy treat for fish, chicken, even to smear on steaks. Excellent.

Maple Walnut Breakfast Butter

½ cup Walnuts, chopped

1 cup (2 sticks) Butter, room temperature

¼ cup Maple Syrup

2 tbsp Honey

In a medium skillet, toast walnuts over medium heat. This will take 3-5 minutes. Remove the walnuts from heat, and fold into the room temp butter, syrup, honey, and cooled toasted walnuts. Cover and let chill at least 4 hours.

Great on pancakes, waffles, bagels, toast, etc!

Garlic Spread

1 stick Butter

5 cloves minced, 3 tsp dried, Garlic

1 tsp dried, 2 tsp fresh, Parsley

Pinch Pepper

Melt all ingredients together and leave over low heat for 3 minutes. Pout into small bowl and refrigerate. Spread over toast or use as a base for roasting your favorite birds! Great over pasta!

I will post pictures after work!

XOXO,

Aimee