Flavored Butters

Book excerpt: Once used in medicines and ointments, butter is now a luxurious component in all of our favorite foods—an essential ingredient in desserts, a base for creamy sauces, and a simple spread for breads and pastries. In FLAVORED BUTTERS, food writer Offerico Maoz explores the history and culinary possibilities of this age-old dairy product, presenting more than 65 mouth-watering recipes for flavored butters and sauces, including instructions for making butter by hand. Rebounding from a bad rep in the 1980s, butter is making a comeback as recent studies confirm its health virtues over trans-fatty substitutes like margarine, shortening, and cooking sprays. Complete with recipes for low-calorie and nondairy butters, FLAVORED BUTTERS provides a fresh repertoire of sumptuous spreads so you can indulge away in this delicious, no-longer-guilty pleasure.A full-color tribute to butter, with more than 65 recipes for homemade flavored butters and sauces.Features savory, spicy, and sweet buttery delights, such as Parmesan-Bacon Butter, Chipotle Pepper Butter Sauce, and Cinnamon-Honey Butter, along with low-calorie or nondairy alternatives like Avocado Butter.According to the Harvard School of Public Health, butter is healthier than synthetic fats like margarine, which contain trans fats and are known to increase cholesterol levels. Butter is low carb and can be a source of “good fats,” which are an important part of a healthy diet (when consumed in moderation).