There are few things in life that taste as good as butter. Don’t bring me margarine…I just want beautiful, creamy, delicious butter!
Whether you enjoy butter spread over your toast or melting into your corn, there is one way to make your butter even better:
Transform your butter into compound butter!
If you’ve never tried compound butter, you’re missing out. Not only is this a way to elevate your butter, it also is a great way to save up leftover herbs while looking super fancy with minimal effort.
Compound butter is basically a combination of butter and your choice of herbs, spices, or other flavourings. Making compound butter is incredibly easy and it stores well in the fridge or even the freezer. One of my favourite things about compound butter is once I’ve added in my favourite herbs, it’s a cheap and simple way to add those flavours into my food even when those herbs are not readily available or in season.
Some amazing options that you could add in:
Savoury:
Fresh dill and lemon zest
Fresh basil and roasted garlic
Oregano and garlic
Sundried tomato, chopped olives, and roasted garlic
Cilantro and lime zest
Sriracha and chilli flakes
Sweet:
Chocolate shavings and vanilla
Maple syrup and walnuts
Fresh berries
Cinnamon and brown sugar
Almond extract and shaved almonds
The sky is the limit. Think of your favourite flavour combinations and try it out!
Compound Butter:
Materials needed:
Bowl, spoon, spatula,
Parchment or wax paper
Freezer-safe container
Ingredients:
1 stick of butter, softened
Your choice of chopped herbs, spices, and flavours – start with 2-3 tablespoons total, to start. Adjust according to taste.
Method:
- Mix chopped herbs, spices, and flavours into softened butter, making sure to distribute your add-ins evenly.
- Transfer butter mixture onto parchment paper and carefully shape into a log. Roll parchment around butter log and twist ends to close off.
- Freeze wrapped compound butter. (Alternate: freeze compound butter for 30 minutes and then slice into ½ inch rounds.)
- If using the butter soon, store butter in the fridge, otherwise, store the butter in the freezer in a freezer-safe container.
