I love that both my boys Noah and Sam like to cook. When Noah still lived at home and Sam was away at college, Noah, Marty, and I would have cooking challenges. Our favorite was who can get a perfect medium-rare cook on their steak, whose steak was seasoned properly and was all the fat on the sides of the steak rendered out? We were using the sear and finish in the oven cooking method. It was fun and delicious. We would all taste each other’s and rate them. All three of our steaks were different in subtle ways.
Sam has his own apartment at college this year and has become quite the cook. He uses recipes I taught him and experiments with recipes on his own. He mentioned he was using a whisk to try to make compound butter because he didn’t have a food processor. He wanted to make whipped compound butters.
Just before Sam left to go back to nursing school, I got him an inexpensive mini food processor, he was very excited. Of course, I loved seeing his reaction.
He surprised us by coming home the other night. He wanted to spend a couple of days in VT. Once school starts on Tuesday they will be going for 16 weeks straight and he probably won’t be coming home.
He came with a little cooler, he brought things for us to sample. He brought a container of “sauce” that he made on Sunday. Sunday sauce was tomato sauce with sausage or meatballs that cooked all day to develop flavor.
Marty and I tasted his sauce and let me tell you what….it was pretty damn close to mine. I was proud as a peacock. Next, he had us try some compound butters he made with his mini food processor.
He made a garlic herb one for garlic bread on Sunday but ate that one already. Lol, He brought two different ones for us to try, brown sugar and cinnamon and peanut butter and butter. “These are delicious on my waffles!” He told us. They were delicious. A chip off the old block!
A 20 year old is making compound butters? He tried a bunch of them when I was experimenting with them for my cooking class. When I introduced compound butters to everyone at class I was hoping they all didn’t think I was nuts pushing butter on them.
Compound butters can be sweet or savory. I prepped ahead a slew of ingredients so each person could make their own to take home. It was fun to see what kinds each of them chose to make. Some definitely had a sweet tooth, some went with safe ones and others were a bit more daring.
We didn’t use food processors in class. We used very soft butter that was easy to mix just with a fork. The butter is rolled into a log when it is still soft using plastic wrap, waxed paper or parchment paper. It can be kept in the refrigerator to use whenever you want to or you can freeze it and defrost it when you need it. You just slice off a little bit and get a huge bang of flavor.
So what do you use it for? This is the fun part and helps you decide what kind you want to make. A garlic herb or cowboy butter is delish melted on steaks. A pesto butter is fantastic on pasta or a baked potato. A lemon herb butter is delicious melted on chicken or fish. A honey butter or brown sugar and cinnamon, pumpkin pie, or gingerbread butter is delicious on pancakes, waffles, quick breads, popovers, cornbread, bagels, etc. The possibilities are endless!
Anyone can make compound butters, even children since they are so quick and super easy! You just need some softened butter, a few ingredients and a little creativity.
I am so excited to share some of my compound butter recipes with you. It’s almost embarrassing how easy they are. If you want to impress people at your next dinner party or bbq, just whip out a log of compound butter and cut up slices for everyone to use. I promise you will get rave reviews!
Last thing… compound butters make wonderful hostess gifts. Just be creative how you want to package it. My favorite way is to make it look like candy like I did in the photo below. You may even want to include the recipe on a small card attached to the butter, or you may just want to keep the recipe to yourself. LOL
Compound Butter Recipes
I use salted butter in all of my compound butter recipes. You don’t need expensive butter, a store brand will do for these recipes. I urge you to use salted butter even in the sweet butter recipes. Salt brings out the flavor of anything you make including sweet items.
If you have issues with sodium, then by all means use sweet butter for your compound butter recipes, you can add just a pinch or leave it out altogether.
For all of the butter combinations: Put the softened salted butter into a medium bowl, add the ingredients of your choice, mix well with a fork, shape into a log on a sheet of waxed paper, parchment paper, or plastic wrap. Roll up or wrap tightly. Refrigerate until firm or freeze. Slice and put butter on whatever you desire.
Savory
Lemon Herb Butter
1 stick of butter – 1/2 cup
2 Tbsp lemon zest
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp finely chopped thyme
Garlic Herb Butter
1 stick of butter – 1/2 cup
2 cloves of garlic minced
3 Tbsp fresh parsley chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp each fresh chopped herbs of your choice: basil, oregano, rosemary, chives
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Chili Lime Butter
1 stick of butter -1/2 cup
2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or to you taste
Zest of 1 lime
1 tsp lime juice
1-2 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro optional
Cowboy Butter
1 stick of butter – 1/2 cup
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Bleu Cheese Butter
1 stick butter – 1/2 cup
4 ounces bleu cheese at room temp
*Optional add chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme, rosemary, tarragon, chives, or garlic
Curry Masala Butter
1 stick butter – 1/2 cup
1 Tbsp yellow curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp marjoram optional
Thai Basil and Lime Butter
1 stick butter – 1/2 cup
1/2 lime zested
1/2 tsp 5 spice powder
pinch red pepper flakes optional
Thai Red Curry Butter
1 stick butter -1/2 cup
2 tsp red curry paste
1 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
1/2 lime zest
1 tsp lime juice
3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Sweet
Orange Honey Butter
1 stick butter – 1/2 cup
1 Tbsp honey
2 tsp finely grated orange zest
***Optional add 2 Tbsp of dried chopped cranberries
Brown Sugar & Cinnamon Butter
1 stick butter – 1/2 cup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Gingerbread Butter
1 stick butter – 1/2 cup
1 Tbsp molasses
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp sugar or to taste
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Maple Butter
1 stick butter – 1/2 cup
1/4 cup real maple syrup preferably darker grade
Pumpkin Spice Butter
1 stick butter – 1/2
1/8 cup pumpkin puree
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice or more if desired
What a great gift idea! I love how you wrapped the it. I never thought of it. I used to make herb butter in my processor. So many creative ideas especially as the seasons change depending on what it is available. Thank you for sharing!