Three Compound Butters
Three Compound Butters

Three Compound Butter Recipes

Three Compound Butter Recipes

Bread and butter! Everyone gets excited over the bread and butter at a restaurant when they first sit down. It calms that initial hunger pang you’ve had since waiting to be seated and it’s even more exciting when the restaurant you’re at puts a special twist on the ‘ol routine and offers flavored butters or compound butters.  Why even offer plain butter when you’re offering the good stuff?! You know – garlic butter, apple butter, etc.

Compound butters are simply a mixture of butter and complimentary ingredients that enhances the flavor of various dishes (or breads) similar to a sauce.  The flavor combinations are endless and it is really up to you and what flavors you think compliment each other best.  Rosemary and garlic, lavender and honey, basil and pesto, cinnamon and sugar,  maple syrup and bourbon – the list goes on and on and on.

Not only are compound butters for bread spreading, but they can also be bases for sauces or melted onto proteins for a flavor boost.  You can come up with some compound butters that might not sit well with just bread, but may be absolutely divine over a grilled steak or shrimp skewers. Yum!

Today I’m sharing three different compound butter recipes with you. These are just ideas and a base for you to come up with your own genius concoctions!

Types of Compound Butter Recipes

Guava Butter:

1/2 cup softened butter
1/4 cup guava jelly

Maple Walnut Butter:

1/2 cup softened butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
Walnuts

Bloody Mary Butter:

1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 tbsp tomato paste
2-3 tsp horseradish
2 dashes dill pickle juice
2 dashes green olive juice
3 dashes Worcestershire
1/8 tsp celery salt

Start with a 1/2 stick of butter and add in whatever combination of ingredients you want and either get those biceps working with a whisk, or use a food processor.  Personally, I’m not a fan of dishes, so a whisk and man power does the trick for me.  Note that the more liquids you add, the less it may harden when you put it back in the fridge which can determine how you display/present it.

To give it away as a gift, you can roll it into a log with parchment paper and bakers twine, or you could also use a pastry bag to fill a mason jar. These butters are great party favors and gifts and would be great at a Christmas or New Years gathering.

I hope you enjoy these compound butter ideas, and feel free to leave your favorite combinations in the comments below!

Happy Holidays!

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