Butter

I love butter. When I was a child, I used to eat sticks of it, until my mom replaced the butter in the fridge with margarine and then I ate spoonfuls of that. Considering all the odd and raw food I ate, the fact that I didn't come down with some awful food-borne bacteria as a kid is a miracle.

While plain butter was the love of my childhood, compound butter is definitely the love of my adulthood. I keep it in the fridge at all times now. My favorite is roasted garlic butter with herbs. Traditional, I know, but a classic for a reason.

Roasted Garlic Butter with Herbs

Ingredients

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 t kosher salt
• 1 T finely chopped herbs (I love rosemary and thyme but chives or dill would also be lovely)
• Olive oil
• Foil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Set butter out to soften.
3. Remove outer layer of garlic peel, leaving the skin of the individual cloves intact. Cut the top off the head of garlic.
4. Place on a piece of foil, drizzle liberally with olive oil and fold the foil up around the garlic clove to create a pouch. Bake in oven for 35-40 minutes. Remove and let cool to room temperature.
5. Smash garlic with a fork and mix until as smooth as you desire. Mix in softened butter, salt and herbs. Store in refrigerator.

This is fabulous to use to make grilled cheese (I call it my Gourmet Grilled Cheese) or slathered on top of things like pot pies, hot bread or biscuits. I genuinely cannot get enough of it.

Though I don't keep it in the fridge at all times, I've been known to make cinnamon butter for brunches. Again, very basic, but cinnamon butter can really kick things like waffles up a notch, and it's so easy, why not?

Cinnamon Sugar Butter

Ingredients

• 1 stick salted butter, room temperature
• 5 t cinnamon
• 2 T sugar

Directions

1. Mix together butter, cinnamon, and sugar in a small dish until well incorporated. Cover with an air-tight lid and store in refrigerator when not using.