8.20.2011

Cinnamon Honey Butter

Does anyone else hate waiting for butter to soften?  The wait can be excruciating!  I found out this week that the quickest way to soften butter is a broken air conditioner in the middle of an Arkansas heatwave... let's just say it was quite effective.

I had planned on baking cupcakes for my moms birthday (Happy Birthday Mom!!!) but with the heat index hovering around 120 degrees Fahrenheit and going on day three of no air conditioning, I decided that baking would not be the most pleasant experience. And believe me, I had to stop myself many times from turning on that oven!  How could I not make my mom cupcakes on her birthday?  I was sad, and terribly hot, but determined to give my mom something homemade that did not require any source of heat to create.  I happened upon a recipe for cinnamon honey butter and the search for the perfect homemade gift was over.


Why is it the perfect homemade gift?  This is so amazingly good! It can be spread on toast, bagels, rolls or biscuits, and really I think it would still be pretty tasty just slathered on a napkin! (ok... maybe not, I am just getting carried away).  It is so easy to whip up and can be made in large or small quantities.  A perfectly delicious gift with a beautiful presentation that is made in a sun baked house without air conditioning?  No sweat!!  If only all gift giving could be as simple.


Cinnamon Honey Butter
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adapted from All Recipes
yield: about 2 cups

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment, whip the softened butter and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a long spatula.  Next, add honey and ground cinnamon. Whip until combined.  Mixture will be light and fluffy.
This is a fairly sweet butter.  Powdered sugar and honey can easily be adjusted for your specific tastes. Remember, it is easier to add more sugar than to take it away.  If you think this might be too sweet, start out with smaller amounts and add more until it is perfect for you.


You probably have all of these ingredients in your kitchen.  So what are you waiting for?  Well, you will probably be waiting for your butter to soften so you might as well run and get it out of the fridge!

*note* In the photo above the butter pictured is unsalted. I have tried salted and unsalted butter in this recipe. I prefer it with salted butter.

Below are a few tips and photos of the process to get you started. You will also find information on storage and tips for turning this into a super cute gift.




Make sure you butter is softened to room temperature. You can always use the microwave but remember that butter can go from soft to melted in a matter of seconds. Do not use melted butter in this recipe.  A soft butter will insure proper mixing for a smooth texture.


Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with whisk attachment, whip the softened butter and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.


Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a long spatula.




Next, add honey and ground cinnamon, whip until combined.  Mixture will be light and fluffy.




Storage
I store this in the fridge. Supposedly people all over the world leave butter on the counter with no ill effects. Sugar also helps with preserving, but I am always overly cautious concerning food safety. If you are interested, I found some interesting comments here about butter storage. Storing in the fridge with make this butter harden, but it can easily be scraped in thin fluffy amounts with a butter knife or spreader. I suggest not packing down the butter into the container to keep the texture light. I spoon the butter into the containers and lightly pack it so there are no large air pockets.

I was able to fill two glass 8 oz. jelly jars.   Which by the way, glass jars are a current obsession of mine. They come in so many different sizes. You can also buy plastic screw top lids that make these jars perfect for storing anything! Not to mention they make such a beautiful presentation if giving as a gift.

To decorate the jar:

Method 1
You will need a circle of fabric 2 1/2-3 inches bigger than the lid of the jar. My jar lid was almost 3 inches across so I needed about a 6 inch circle of fabric. It doesn't have to be exact and it doesn't even have to be a circle.  Get creative! I used a bowl to trace a circle on the wrong side of the fabric.  I can hardly cut a straight line, you think I am going to be able to freehand a circle? Nope, not this girl!

Place the fabric circle on top of the jar and attach by wrapping a coordinating ribbon around the fabric and tying a small bow.  To make this easier you can place a rubberband around the fabric where you want the ribbon to be tied. Then you can easily tie the ribbon in place without the fabric shifting. You can remove the rubberband or leave it a place, covering it with the ribbon.


  



Method 2
Using the lid of the jar, trace a circle on the wrong side of some cute scrapbook paper. Tape the paper to the metal lid. You can also add a coordinating ribbon and a gift tag made from scrapbook paper.  Run the ribbon through a small hole in the tag.









3 comments:

  1. First of all I would loooove to try this on some yummy toast with coffee. Also, have you ever eaten or tried to make apple butter? It's good stuff!

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  2. I like to eat this on a whole wheat bagel and definitely with coffee! I have never had apple butter,but I love apples... so I might need to find a recipe!

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  3. YES it is yummy. This on a bagel with coffee would be delicious! :D

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