Honey Butter

Wow, there's a lot of 1's in the date today...and just think about what it will be like in 10 days!

Last year, Bob and I hosted our first Thanksgiving. Because my family's Thanksgiving menu has remained virtually unchanged for 30+ years, I had to be creative with how I would add my personal touch to the meal without sacrificing the dishes we've all come to expect and love. A few years ago, the amazing Annie posted some compound butters that she served at her first Thanksgiving. I thought this was a fantastic idea! No one would mind having a few extra choices to add to their roll, so it was a great opportunity for me to add a little something extra without causing a scene :-)

I found this honey butter recipe of Alton Brown's. I loved that it had cinnamon and some extra flavors. As I mentioned last year when I posted the delicious Herb Butter that these butters were my brother-in-law's favorite part of the entire meal! Either the butters were that good, or the meal was that bad (just kidding! We have our dishes down to a science at this point!)

Compound butters are not only great for holidays but there are nice way to add a little something extra to a dinner party or a small, intimate gathering with friends. Plus, they are so completely easy to make!

Honey Butter

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. To loosen the butter, place butter into the bowl of a mixer (or you may use a hand mixer) and beat at low speed using the whisk attachment.

2. Increase the speed to medium and add the honey, cinnamon, and vanilla extract and beat until well combined, about 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Remove butter from bowl and spoon onto parchment paper or plastic wrap. Roll into a log and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Alternatively, use decorative tip and piping bag to pipe butter into small dishes, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Source: Alton Brown via FoodNetwork.com