Simple, do-it-yourself flavoured butters can be made with ingredients you usually have on hand at home.
Easy tips for homemade flavoured butter
• Take butter out of the fridge and bring it to room temperature .
• Cream butter by hand (a wooden spoon works best), or beat it with an electric beater.
• Add your favourite herbs and/or spices, and/or nuts.
• If you like, add a little sweetening such as honey, maple syrup or jam.
• Mix all ingredients together until well-combined.
• Let stand for an hour out of the fridge to blend flavours—and enjoy.
• Or, roll butter into a sausage shape, in waxed paper, and refrigerate.
• Just before serving, cut butter into disks, place atop warm food at the last minute and let melt.
Tip: Keep an extra pound of butter in the freezer—you can grate it to bring it to room temperature quickly. Feel free to use your imagination. Just about anything tastes great when mixed with fresh butter. Here are more tasty ideas.
For pancakes, crepes or muffins
• Cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla mixed with ground or finely chopped almonds or hazelnuts
• Apple sauce (or melted jelly), cinnamon and a little maple syrup
• A little orange juice, grated orange peel, cranberry sauce and honey
• Strawberry jam
• Mashed ripe banana, vanilla and icing sugar
• Cocoa powder with finely chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
• Your favourite nut butter and honey
On fish
• A little lime juice mixed with fresh coriander and red pepper flakes
• Mashed anchovies, capers, parsley and garlic
With shrimp or other shellfish
• Tarragon, lemon juice and garlic
On steak or beef
• Softened, creamed or mashed blue cheese
• Cracked peppercorns and herbes de Provence
• Prepared horseradish, dry mustard and a little sugar
On lamb
• Honey, Dijon mustard, garlic and rosemary
On chicken breasts
• Paprika, garlic and honey
On corn on the cob
• Honey and rosemary
• Hot-sauce and parsley
On broccoli, asparagus, green beans or Brussels sprouts
• Softened aged Canadian Cheddar cheese and chives
• Poppy seeds and lemon juice
Want more delicious flavoured butter recipe ideas? Check these out.
