Red pepper jelly butter is a flavorful and versatile addition to your culinary creations. Not only does it effortlessly enhance dishes with its unique blend of spicy and sweet, but it’s also incredibly simple to make at home.
Red Pepper Jelly Butter: A Burst of Flavor
Flavored butter, also known as compound butter, is flavored with additives, such as red pepper jelly. Compound butters can be sweet or savory and add bursts of flavor to breads, meats, and vegetables.
What Makes a Delicious Compound Butter?
At the heart of a great flavored compound butter lies quality ingredients. Start with high-quality butter at room temperature. This ensures easy mixing and delivers a perfect, spreadable texture. Next, consider the complementary flavors you want to infuse. Popular additions include herbs, spices, and sweeteners like honey or jam. For example, red pepper jelly paired with butter creates a spicy-sweet fusion.
A compound butter should have a harmonious, balanced flavor. Too much of a strong ingredient can overpower the butter, while too little can lead to a bland taste. However, experimenting with different combinations is part of the fun!
Type of Butter to Use for Red Pepper Jelly Butter
Use Unsalted Butter to Control Flavor
When making flavored butters, start with high-quality, unsalted butter. This will let you control the amount of salt added when flavoring the butter. However, you can use salted butter. For instance, if you make a sweet-flavored butter and desire a bit of salt, then you might start with salted butter. Just remember that there are no industry standards for manufacturers when it comes to adding salt to butter. Therefore, different brands of butter contain different amounts. This means that you might need to tweak your recipe every time you use a different brand of butter.
Use a Butter High In Butterfat for Extra Creaminess
Look for butter that is rich and creamy, such as grass-fed butter. Try a European butter such as Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter, which contains more butterfat than American butters and is ideal for making flavored butter.
Use Room-Temperature Butter for Red Pepper Jelly Butter
Room-temperature butter is essential for easy mixing, allowing you to incorporate your chosen flavorings—herbs, spices, or sweeteners—into a smooth, cohesive blend. Set out your butter for 30-60 minutes before you want to use it. If it is still too hard to mix, try softening it for a few seconds in the microwave.
Endless Possibilities Await
Flavored butters are not only easy to make but also an excellent way to introduce bold flavors to your dining table. Their versatility opens up a world of culinary creativity. From sweet variations featuring fruits and cinnamon to savory blends with roasted garlic and fresh herbs, the options are virtually limitless. Serve them alongside grilled meats, swirl them into mashed potatoes, or spread them on warm, crusty bread.
Other Recipes You Might Enjoy
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Red Pepper Jelly Butter
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted or salted butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons red pepper jelly
- 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Set the butter out on the countertop for about an hour until it is soft and easy to spread. To soften hard butter, microwave it on the defrost setting for a few seconds. However, do not melt the butter.
- Stir all ingredients together until well mixed. Alternatively, use a mixer to blend the ingredients. Serve at room temperature or shape into a log and refrigerate for 30 minutes to harden.