Thursday, November 12, 2015

Holiday(Anyday)Sweet Flavored Butters

These butters are great for toast, bagels or muffins and are equally at home melted over pancakes or waffles. Many chefs will tell you to use unsalted real butter for flavored butters, but that's foolish! I rather enjoy the slight salty with the sweet and I think you will as well. Listed from top to bottom, enjoy any of these sweet spreads anytime.



Salted Caramel Butter
 
This is where the salty nature of plain butter or margarine is perfect with caramel.

5 caramel candies
1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
1 stick(1/2 cup) butter or margarine, room temperature

Unwrap caramels and place in a bowl with maple syrup. Cover and microwave for 20-30 seconds, or until caramel is melted and it is slightly foaming. Be careful when removing the cover to stir, it will be extremely hot. Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes, or until room temperature. Place in refrigerator if desired to hasten cooling. Beat butter with caramel mixture until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

 

Pecan Fig Butter

This is a slightly tricky recipe, Not for the preparation, but because of the type of fig you can use. If using dried figs, pour boiling water over them and let sit for about 30 minutes to soften. Drain well, pushing out the liquid from each fig before continuing with recipe. If using fresh figs, follow the recipe below, but be forewarned. You will not use an entire fig for this recipe, So I guess you will just have to eat the remainder of the unused, sweet, delicious fig. You can also purchase jarred or canned figs as well. Simply squeeze the daylights out of them before continuing with recipe. Raisins can be successfully substituted here as well. Simply treat as dried figs.

1 fresh fig
1 stick(1/2 cup) butter or margarine, room temperature
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon chopped pecans

It is as easy as removing the stem, and peeling fig if desired before mashing with a sturdy fork and adding to a bowl with remainder of ingredients. Beat until as creamy as possible. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.




Apple Cinnamon Butter
What on earth could I possibly say about this butter that the title doesn't already? My favorite butter for everything from muffins to pork chops.

1 stick(1/2 cup) butter or margarine, room temperature
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup apple jelly, whisked smooth
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Place all ingredients in a bowl and beat until as creamy as possible. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

 

Maple Cranberry Butter

Think you've had cranberry butter before? Wait till you try this one!

1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup apple juice or cider, boiling
1 stick(1/2 cup) butter or margarine, room temperature
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pour boiling juice over cranberries and let soak for at least 30 minutes. Drain well, squeezing cranberries to remove as much liquid as possible. Place in a bowl with remainder of ingredients and beat until smooth and creamy. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

 

Orange-Lemon Butter
Sunshine in the morning! Besides coffee,(and percolated coffee at that)the fresh taste of fruit first thing always brings a smile to my face.

1 stick(1/2 cup) butter or margarine, room temperature
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Place everything in a bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Merry Berry Butter
And here is a present from me to you. Such a simple butter and one I didn't think of until after I took the picture. This way you won't be looking for that elusive 6th spoon in the image. I dare say there is not one type of jam, preserves or all-fruit that you can't use with this recipe. Just choose and mix!

1 stick(1/2 cup) butter or margarine, room temperature
3 tablespoons berry preserves
1 teaspoon vanilla, almond, rum or mint extract

Place everything in a bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

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