Fancy Butters for Popovers

## Book Reference

Key Lime Pie Murder

**Hannah’s 1st Note: Make these fancy butters the day before you plan to serve them. Take them out of the refrigerator an hour before serving.**

## Cashew Butter

### Ingredients

* ½ cup softened butter ***(1 stick, ¼ pound)***
* 2 Tablespoons ***(⅛ cup)*** finely chopped cashews ***(measure AFTER chopping)***

### Directions

* Soften the butter and place it in a small mixing bowl.
* Chop the cashews ***(salted or unsalted—it doesn’t really matter)*** in a food processor with the steel blade until they’re as close to a paste as you can get them. ***(If you don’t have a food processor, you can grind them in a food mill, chop them by hand and then crush them with a mortar and pestle, or grind them in a blender.)***
* Measure 2 Tablespoons of crushed or finely chopped cashews. Mix the cashews with the butter, scrape the mixture into a small serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. When you uncover the bowl, place one perfect cashew on top of the cashew butter so everyone will know what it is.

## Honey Butter

### Ingredients

* ½ cup softened butter ***(1 stick, ¼ pound)***
* 1 Tablespoon honey

### Directions

* Soften the butter and place it in a small mixing bowl.
* Add the honey and stir until well blended. Scrape the mixture into a small serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

**Hannah’s 2nd Note: I usually make a double batch of honey butter because everyone loves it so much.**

## Almond Butter

### Ingredients

* ½ cup softened butter ***(1 stick, ¼ pound)***
* 1 Tablespoon finely chopped or crushed blanched almonds ***(measure AFTER chopping or crushing)***
* ½ teaspoon almond extract

### Directions

* Chop the blanched almonds in a food processor with the steel blade until they’re as close to a paste as you can make them. ***(If you don’t have a food processor, you can grind them in a food mill, chop them by hand and then crush them with a mortar and pestle, or grind them in a blender.)***
* Measure 1 Tablespoon of crushed or finely chopped almonds. Mix the almonds with the butter.
* Add the almond extract and mix well.
* Scrape the mixture into a small serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. When you uncover the bowl, place one perfect almond on top of the almond butter so everyone will know what it is.

## Date Butter

### Ingredients

* ½ cup softened butter ***(1 stick, ¼ pound)***
* 8 pitted dates, finely chopped
* 1 teaspoon flour

### Directions

* Cut the dates into three pieces with a sharp knife and place them in the bowl of a food processor.
* Sprinkle them with flour and chop them with the steel blade until they’re as finely chopped as you can make them. ***(You can add a little more flour if they stick together too much.)*** If you don’t have a food processor, you can try this with a blender , or chop them with a sharp knife by hand.
* Mix the chopped dates with the butter, scrape the mixture into a small serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. When you uncover the bowl, place one pitted date on top of the date butter so everyone will know what it is.

## Orange Butter

### Ingredients

* ½ cup softened butter ***(1 stick, ¼ pound)***
* 1 Tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate
* 1 teaspoon orange zest\*\*\* ***(optional)***
	+ \*\*\* Orange zest is finely grated orange peel—only the orange part, not the white part.

### Directions

* Measure out one Tablespoon of frozen orange juice concentrate and let it come up to room temperature.
* Mix the orange juice concentrate with the softened butter. Add the orange zest if you decided to use it. ***(It adds a lot!)***
* Scrape the mixture into a small serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

## Lemon Butter

### Ingredients

* ½ cup softened butter ***(1 stick, ¼ pound)***
* 1 Tablespoon frozen lemonade concentrate
* 1 teaspoon lemon zest\*\*\* ***(optional)***
	+ \*\*\*Lemon zest is finely grated lemon peel—only the yellow part, not the white part.

### Directions

* Measure out one Tablespoon of frozen lemonade concentrate and let it come up to room temperature.
* Mix the lemonade concentrate with the softened butter. Add the lemon zest if you decided to use it. ***(It adds a lot!)***
* Scrape the mixture into a small serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.