butter loves company

new york food blogger and lifestyle influencer

carrot ginger soup

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I’m not sure what it is, but this week I have caught myself on the train daydreaming about sweets on more than one occasion. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if the people I ride the train with could hear my thoughts. Yesterday, the woman on my left would have heard a buttery biscuit stuffed with juicy, roasted strawberries and whipped cream; and this morning, the man on my right, a moist, nutty carrot cake with rich cream cheese frosting and a fudgy chocolate brownie with salty caramel sauce. I’m not sure what it is, but I think maybe, just maybe, these ‘sweet thoughts’ are my brain’s attempt to resist all of the “New Year’s” diet advertising flooding TVs, magazines, and websites.

Because I too indulged a bit over the holidays, today I’m surrendering myself to the “New Year, new you” campaign with a light, easy, veggie focused dinner. I do love veggies and their ability to make you feel great.

Carrot-Ginger-Soup-Carrots

I chose this Carrot Ginger Soup for a number of reasons:

    1. I really like making soup because I think the leftovers are perfect to bring to work for lunch.
    2. It has very few ingredients and requires only a couple of dishes and one pot, which is something those of us without dishwashers love.
    3. Carrots have been long associated with eye health, and anyone around me knows that I have been obnoxiously complaining about my weakening vision. If I tell my boyfriend, Greg, one more time that I can’t see the score on the TV, the same TV I told him I couldn’t see the score on the night before, and the night before, and the night before, I fear even the best gentleman may change the locks on the door!

So, with that, I give you the Carrot Ginger Soup I’ll be enjoying the rest of the week. It’s not necessarily groundbreaking, but is a great addition to the weeknight rotation a few times a year and would also be excellent as a first course at a dinner party.

I promise I’ll also post something sweet this week to satisfy my cravings (and maybe yours!). If I don’t, I’m afraid next time I might daydream so long I miss my stop!
Step 3

Step 3

Step 4

Step 4

Voilà!

Voilà!

Carrot Ginger Soup
Recipe Type: Soup
Author: Butter Loves Company
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 2 onions, peeled and chopped
  • 2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • Salt and pepper
  • Sour cream or Greek Yogurt, for serving (optional)
  • Scallions or chives, sliced thin, for serving (optional)
Instructions
  1. Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, cover and cook over low heat until tender and lightly colored. About 25 minutes.
  2. Add carrots, ginger and 4 cups chicken broth and bring to a boil.
  3. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 30 minutes.
  4. Either puree soup in batches with a blender or food processor or use an immersion blender right in the pot. Blend until smooth. If using a blender, return the soup to the pot.
  5. Add soy sauce and 1-2 additional cups chicken broth to reach desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with sour cream and scallions or chives.

 

maple oatmeal scones with maple glaze

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When someone tells you that you have ruined other scones for them forever, you know you have a winning recipe. That is what my (now) boyfriend said after biting into one of the Maple Oatmeal Scones with Maple Glaze I brought to the restaurant we both worked at a few years ago. To me, scones are a very underrated baked good and they are fairly often my breakfast pastry choice. At a time of day when my eyes are usually adjusting the to light of day, scones have just the amount of sweetness I need.

Whether savory or sweet, one important detail in making scones is the texture. I’ve tried recipes that ended up too dry or too soggy, too crumbly or too hard.  Of all the scone recipes I have tried, this has to be my goldilocks. It is the ‘just right’ texture I had been looking for. Because it has a light flavor, it is good accompanied by nice butter or jam. It can also act as a canvas for other scone creations. When I made them most recently, I added in about a cup of dried cranberries and omitted the glaze.

mapleoatmealsconescooling

One little tip I have for making these scones is to dice the cold butter and re-refrigerate it before you start with the rest of the recipe. The butter should be very cold when you add it to the dough, which helps the scones rise and adds flakiness. Prepping this beforehand will save you time as you run through the rest of the recipe.

mapleoatmealscones

I must direct the credit of this winning recipe to Ina Garten, a woman who I have found to have consistently reliable recipes. Ina, my boyfriend and I thank you each time we enjoy one of these with our morning coffee!

maple oatmeal scones with maple glaze
Recipe Type: Scones
Cuisine: Breakfast
Author: Ina Garten
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 14 scones
Ingredients
  • Scones:
  • 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup quick-cooking oats, plus additional for sprinkling
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 pound cold butter, diced
  • 1/2 cup cold buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk or water, for egg wash
  • Glaze:
  • 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flours, oats, baking powder, sugar and salt. Blend the cold butter in at the lowest speed and mix until the butter is in pea-size pieces. Combine the buttermilk, maple syrup and eggs and add quickly to the flour-and-butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough may be sticky.
  2. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and be sure it is combined. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4 to 1 inch thick. You should see lumps of butter in the dough. Cut into 3-inch rounds with a plain or fluted cutter and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  3. Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are crisp and the insides are done.
  4. To make the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup and vanilla. When the scones are done, cool for 5 minutes and drizzle each scone with 1 tablespoon of the glaze. I like to sprinkle some uncooked oats on the top, for garnish. The warmer the scones are when you glaze them, the thinner the glaze will be.

 

aviation

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On a cold winter’s day in Boston, I would like nothing more than to fly off to a tropical island and catch some rays. With a -12 degree wind chill, the cabana life couldn’t feel further away, so I got to thinking. If I couldn’t board a plane out of the chilly city, I could at least make an Aviation right here in my warm(ish) apartment!

Aviation

The Aviation is a light and refreshing classic gin cocktail that first took flight in the early 20th century. The drink was reportedly created by Hugo Ensslin—the head bartender at Times Square’s Hotel Wallick—as a combination of gin, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, and violet liqueur. Supposedly, the recipe was altered around 1930, omitting the hard to come across violet liqueur. Since I sipped my first Aviation at Harvard Square’s Russell House Tavern, I have seen and enjoyed the cocktail made both with and without violet. The ingredient does add a nice floral note to the drink, not to mention its signature light blue tint. Don’t fear if you can’t find Crème de Violette.  It’s still delicious without.

Aviation Ingredients

My memories of florescent red maraschino cherries in Shirley Temples made me initially hesitant to try the drink, but the maraschino liqueur itself is clear and adds a necessary subtle sweetness balancing the botanical gin and tart lemon of the drink. Though a little on the pricey side, the Luxardo deep red maraschino cherries I used changed everything I had previously thought about maraschino cherries. I do aim to make my own at home soon, so stay tuned for a future post.

Luxardo Cherries

The drink is often served in a martini or coupe glass, but I have also seen it served in small rocks glasses – whatever you have on hand (a rocks glass for me because I have not yet stocked the apartment with martini glasses).

Even though I didn’t physically get to the tropics, I was spirited away from the blustery winter for a cocktail or two.

Aviation
Recipe Type: Cocktail
Cuisine: Beverages
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 ounces gin
  • 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3/4 ounces maraschino liqueur
  • 1/4 ounce crème de violette (optional)
  • Maraschino cherry, for garnish
Instructions
  1. Add the gin, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, and crème de violette to a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake until thoroughly chilled, strain into a martini, coupe, or rocks glass, and garnish with a maraschino cherry. Enjoy.

 

cinnamon pinwheel cookies

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Each December, my mom and I embark on what I have coined a Christmas cookie marathon (instead of 26 miles, think 26 types of cookies). Our non-stop baking day results in a lengthy list of cookies, which includes some of our winter classics — snickerdoodles, whoopie pies, and molasses – along with a handful or two new experiments. When the stand mixer has reached its limit and our hands are aching from scooping dough, we assemble the cookies, bars, and toffees on platters for our neighbors, family, and friends to enjoy throughout the holidays. We include a cookie guide with each platter so a ginger hater doesn’t mistakenly reach for the rosemary ginger squares.

As a kid, one of the first cookies I was trusted with was the Cinnamon Pinwheel Cookie. It is a sugar cookie base swirled with cinnamon and brown sugar, a simple and elegant combination. While we make them at Christmas, these are fitting for any time of year and I am pretty sure they are breakfast appropriate. Try to be patient enough to chill the dough until it is very firm before you cut it. This will ensure you get circular cookies.

Cinnamon Pinwheel Cookies
Recipe Type: Cookies
Cuisine: Dessert
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: About 50
Ingredients
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (or more if you are extra fond of cinnamon)
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and 3/4 cup granulated sugar until smooth. Add the egg and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla.
  3. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated (the dough will be stiff).
  4. On a floured surface, separate the dough into two piles and roll each into 8 x 12 inch rectangles. Use a knife to even the edges so they are clean when you roll the dough in step 6.
  5. In a small bowl, mix together the 1/2 cup granulate sugar, 1/2 cup light brown sugar and the cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar filling. Sprinkle generously on each rectangle of dough.
  6. Starting from a short side, roll each rectangle into a log. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 1-2 hours.
  7. When the dough is firm, preheat the oven to 350° F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice the dough logs ¼ inch thick and bake on sheets until just beginning to brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

 

Hi! I'm Jenna, founder of butter loves company. From holidays to Tuesdays, let's find a way to make every meal special.
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