Flavored Butter and Cream Cheese
It's the upgrade your bagel and baguette needs.
One of my favorite things about teaching bagel-making classes is showing people how to make their own flavored butter and cream cheese. I’m a firm believer that no bagel is complete without a shmear of cream cheese on top, and interesting flavors, both sweet and savory, add to the appeal. Amazing cream cheese elevates a bagel to a higher plane.
It follows then, that as a lover of all things bready, when rolls or baguettes at a restaurant are served with an interestingly flavored butter, I have just become a customer for life. The extra touch of that burst of flavor or crunchy salt lovingly paired with warm bread is a sign that the restaurant has put a LOT of thought into what they are serving and how it should best be enjoyed.
The admiration I have for what flavored butter and cream cheese brings to the table is in no way diminished by how ridiculously easy they are to make. In about 5 minutes, in your own kitchen, you can turn out culinary gems worthy of a great restaurant or bagel joint. It’s a fun and simple way to create some of that flavorful magic on your own.
How to Make Flavored Butter and Cream Cheese
Flavored (also known as compound) butter and cream cheeses are made by bringing unsalted butter or plain cream cheese to room temperature, then mashing and spreading it on a cutting board with the side of a kitchen knife.
Start with a stick of butter or half of a block of cream cheese.
Sprinkle fun things on top (There are some suggestions below) and work them in, still using the flat side of the knife. The flavors can be bold, so don’t be shy with the ingredients. Taste it as you go and make adjustments until you are happy with it.
When everything is well incorporated, use the back of the knife to scoop up the now much-improved butter or cream cheese.
Scrape it into a small bowl. Press a bit of plastic wrap or parchment paper on top and put it back in the fridge to firm up.
Your flavored butter and cream cheese will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks, but mine never lasts that long.
Having flavored butter and cream cheese around always seems to encourage culinary experimentation as ways to add it to something familiar to create something amazing keep popping up. Consider that you could use flavored butter or cream cheese to:
Finish risotto
Fill and frost cinnamon rolls
Dip apples
Make cheesecake
Eat on crackers
Toss with cooked pasta noodles
Mix into sweet potatoes
Use as a finishing butter on steak
Stir into mashed potatoes
Melt onto grilled corn on the cob
Baste your Thanksgiving turkey
Drizzle over popcorn
Make grilled cheese sandwiches
Wondering where to begin? Here are some flavoring ideas to get you started:
Savory:
Fresh or dried herbs - basil, thyme, oregano or ground rosemary
Roasted garlic
Cilantro or Italian parsley
Diced chiles or jalapenos
Chipotle and lime
Pesto
Sun-dried tomatoes
Sauteed mushrooms
Chives
Tarragon or dill
Shredded cheese
Coarse salt
Sriracha
Chile powder
Sweet:
Cinnamon and brown sugar
Citrus zest - orange, lemon, lime
Chopped nuts - pecans or walnuts
Fruit - blueberries, strawberries, mango, raspberry, or pineapple
Rhubarb
Cranberry sauce
Canned pumpkin with brown sugar
Honey
Maple Syrup
Apple cinnamon
With so many possibilities, I’d love to hear what you decide to make and how you use it. You can send me a note by replying to this email.
Cheers -
Chelly
Interested in improving your skills in the kitchen? You can check out my cooking classes here!