Make Herbal Spreads, Dips and Butters: Whipped Honey Herb Butter

Enlarge Image Image Gallery If you’re used to salty store-bought dips and spreads, you might want to add a bit of salt to these recipes, but make sure to account for the salt already in the cream cheese or butter. Photo by Matthew Stallbaumer

This recipe combines two ideas from the Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook (Harvard Common Press, 2000) by Beth Hensperger: sweet herb honey and honeyed butter. This treat is particularly delicious on whole-wheat biscuits, but it satisfies the sweet tooth served on country loaves and corn bread, too.

• 1/4 cup mild honey, such as clover
• 1 tablespoon very finely minced fresh basil, rosemary, marjoram or lavender, or a mix
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1. In a microwave-safe glass mixing bowl, heat honey in the microwave 45 seconds or just until warm. Stir in herbs, cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 24 hours. Skim the herbs from the top and discard. Bring honey to room temperature and whip for 1 minute with a handheld mixer set to medium speed. Add butter and mix 30 seconds more or until mixture is light and creamy.

2. Store honey-butter in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Allow spread to come to room temperature before serving.

Regular Herb Companion contributor Rose R. Kennedy loves experimenting in her Knoxville, Tenn., kitchen with homegrown herbs.

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