Strawberry Honey Butter

Strawberries are being sold by the case on every street corner, so we have an abundance of them — they are practically overflowing in our refrigerator and freezer! Naturally, we will be making jams, butters, ice creams and all sorts of delicious, juicy foods.

I thought I'd start off with strawberry honey butter because I love butter. ("Is butter a carb?" You better believe I take any chance I get to make a Mean Girls plug!) I am convinced it truly makes the world go round. Could you imagine a world without it? The French would cease to be French, and Julia Child would probably never have plunged into the world of cooking. See? It does make the world go round!


Ingredients: 

1 pint strawberries, hulled
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp of salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

Directions:

1. In a food processor, purée the strawberries and then transfer to a saucepan.
2. Add the honey and the lemon juice and boil the mixture, stirring until it is thickened. Let the strawberry mixture cool to room temperature. Season with salt, to taste.
3. Transfer to a small bowl. Using a stand or hand mixer, begin to cream together the butter and the strawberry mixture until it is blended but not yet smooth.  Beat the mixture for several minutes, until the butter becomes smooth and creamy.
4. Let the butter stand, covered, in a cool place for 1 hour to allow the flavors to develop.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Recipe adapted from The Kitchen Sink Recipes



I put my strawberry honey butter on toast, waffles, crepes, rolls ... whatever needs butter, really! (And in our world, that is basically everything.) Just imagine spreading this stuff over fresh, warm rolls straight from the oven that nearly melt in your mouth because they are so soft. Mmmmm, it's putting me into a food coma just thinking about it!

This butter is a yummy way to give your food a happy flavor lift.  I also think it's really pretty on the eyes, which always makes things even more appetizing, in my opinion. Next enormous crate of strawberries you purchase, you should whip up a batch of this delicious, strawberry goodness! You'll be happy you did. Enjoy!