Flavored Butters! (aka Compound Butter)
Compound butter sounds very fancy, and that pisses me off. It’s EASY and comes together in minutes!! Let’s call it what it is: Flavored Butter. The only rule you must follow is to use room temperature butter. If your butter just came out of the fridge you need to give it an hour on the counter first. Here are two flavors that I would love to be gifted: Miso Honey & Herbmania. There’s no need to be super exact and feel free to riff with other ingredients you have. See how it’s made here.
Ingredients:
Miso Honey
Makes 4 x 4oz. logs
16 oz./4 sticks Salted Kerrygold butter (room temp, this is very important!)
2 tablespoons white miso
⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
Herbmania
Makes 4 x 4oz. logs
16 oz./4 sticks Salted Kerrygold butter (room temp, this is very important!)
1 cup finely chopped herbs of your choice (I used ⅓ scallions, ⅓ dill, ⅓ parsley)
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Zest from 1 lemon
Special Tools:
8 pieces of wax paper cut into 7” x 10” rectangles
8 pieces of wrapping paper cut into 7” x 10” rectangles
Ribbon
Make it!
Add softened butter and all other ingredients into a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium high for 1 minute, until thoroughly combined. If you do not have a stand mixer, you can do this in a large bowl with a fork or wooden spoon. Clean out the bowl and repeat for the other flavor.
Lay the wax paper rectangles on the table, waxed side up. You’ll need to use something to hold the curling edges down, I used silverware. Divide each batch of butter into four and place a blob on the center of each piece. Carefully pull the long side of the wax paper over the blob and roll into a rough log, no need for shaping yet. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes or the freezer for 10 and wait.
Remove the butter from the fridge, it should be a bit easier to work with now! Roll into logs, about 4.5” long. Place back in the fridge/freezer once more while you prep your wrapping paper.
Lastly, label each piece of wrapping paper with the type of butter and place the butter log on top. Roll the wrapping paper around it and tape. Tie each end with ribbon, to look like a Christmas cracker!
Let your giftee know that the butter will stay most fresh for 2 weeks in the fridge and 2 months in the freezer. Enjoy!
