In my last post I talked about storing herbs in olive oil, but sometimes only butter will do. This herb butter is good any time you want to add an herbal kick to your cooking, such as in savoury baking or when cooking meat or veggies. It is also fantastic just spread on a piece of bread, homemade if possible!

Don’t be intimidated by the idea of making your own butter. There is no need to dig out Ye Olde Butter Churn, a food processor, blender or stand mixer will do just fine. If you can make whipped cream, you can make butter.

Hands-on Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup herbs, stems removed
• 4 cups cold heavy (whipping) cream
• 1 tsp salt (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine herbs (1 cup), whipping cream (4 cups) and salt (1 tsp – if using) in a food processor, blender, or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment
2. Mix for about 4-5 minutes or more, depending on the speed of your appliance. The mixture will go through whipping cream and eventually separate into butter and liquidy buttermilk
3. Carefully remove from blender and lightly knead together a couple of times
4. Rinse with very cold water to remove remaining buttermilk
5. Press into patties or balls, and store in the freezer

Notes:

• I wouldn’t suggest using a high speed blender that produces heat, as this can melt the butter
• The buttermilk from this recipe isn’t as thick as the store-bought version but it is still great for making buttermilk biscuits
• Salt helps the butter last longer, which is especially important if you don’t plan to freeze it