Roasted Garlic Compound Butter

I have a confession to make. When I was little (we’re talking two years old) I used to eat butter like it was candy. I would eat it by the stick dipped in sugar, or with a spoon out of the container. It is pretty gross to think about that as an adult. Anyway…I still love butter, but not as much as I did when I was a two year old. I know that eating it in moderation is just fine, and it also adds great flavor and texture to foods.

I like to make compound butter (softened butter+herbs/spices/flavorings) to use for steaks, sauteing vegetables, or melting over baked breads. I also like to put them into different shaped molds to take to holiday gatherings to accompany some fresh baked bread or delicious crackers. Amazon and Michael’s sells all kinds of different silicone sheet molds, so the ideas are really endless when it comes to shapes.

Below you will find a great recipe for compound butter that can be used in many different settings. Enjoy!

Roasted Garlic Compound Butter

You will need:

• 2 sticks of softened butter (salted or unsalted is fine)
• 2 whole heads of garlic
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Silicone mold (I just used a cupcake mold for this one and put 2 Tbsp in each spot, but feel free to use parchment paper, plastic wrap, or a mold size of your choice)

Preheat your oven to 350*F. With a sharp knife, carefully slice the entire garlic heads in half cross-ways down the widest point (the ends should face left to right). Some cloves might fall off, and that is okay. Lay the heads open side up in a loaf pan or small baking dish and brush with olive oil. Top the pan with foil and roast for 1 hour until the garlic is golden brown.

Once the time is up, remove the pan from the oven and let the garlic cool down a bit before handling. Go ahead and put your softened butter into a bowl. Add in the cooled garlic by either squeezing the cloves out, or using a spoon to dig them out. With either a mixer or a spoon, give the butter and garlic a thorough stir making sure to press the garlic cloves into the butter as much as possible. Once you feel like it is mixed enough, go ahead and scoop it into your molds (or parchment/plastic wrap) and pop into the freezer. And that’s it! They should be solid in about an hour or two. To spread on bread, pop them out of the molds and let them hang out at room temp for an hour on whatever platter you plan on using.

The holidays are right around the corner. This is a great way to prepare for all of those family gatherings. You can make plenty of these ahead of time and volunteer for a butter/bread platter. Some other combinations I like are:

2 sticks of butter +1/4c chopped jalapeno + 1 head of roasted garlic

2 sticks of butter + 1/4c chopped fresh parsley + 2 Tbsp lemon zest

2 sticks of butter + 1/4c chopped fresh chives + 1 head of roasted garlic

2 sticks of butter + 2 Tbsp honey + 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes

2 sticks of butter + 1/2c Parmesan cheese + 1 head of roasted garlic

2 sticks of butter + 1/4 c sugar + 2 Tbsp honey + 1 Tbsp cinnamon

I hope you love this recipe idea. As always, thanks for your support!

Lots of love and many blessings,

Chelsea

Stay awake!
For you do not know when the Son of Man will come.

Matthew 24:42