Butter Loves Company, Author at butter loves company

spinach macadamia pesto

January 6, 2017 by Butter Loves Company

As we jot down our New Year’s resolutions and push the leftover holiday cookies and chocolate trees aside—not too far aside, of course—let’s take a moment to welcome this healthy, vibrant green spinach pesto to our January tables.

This spinach macadamia pesto is an extremely versatile sauce, perfect for tossing with pasta, drizzling on salads, spreading on sandwiches, swirling into soup—you name it. Super Greg and I chose to serve it with lemon ricotta raviolis (will be sharing that recipe with you soon).

This pesto packs the bright flavor of basil, but with the herb out of its peak summer season, we’re punching it up with earthy, leafy spinach. We’re also swapping in crunchy macadamias for pesto’s traditional pine nut. This swap was born out of having extra macadamia nuts in my freezer (after making these), but is a move we’d certainly repeat.

If pesto is met with as much excitement in your house as it is mine, feel free to add this recipe to your resolutions list: it’ll be an easy one to check off!

homemade gravlax

December 29, 2016 by Butter Loves Company

Ever since I can remember, gravlax have been a staple on my family’s holiday table. No matter what the occasion, they’ve always been a sure sign of celebration. A magnet for cousins and friends to gather ‘round and share their latest updates and adventures. Grab a piece of toast, slather it with a dill or horseradish sauce, sprinkle that with sharp diced red onions, and dot it all with salty capers. Grab a teeny fork and peel away a slice or two of dilled gravlax to lay on top. With the comfort of family around, you take a big bite of your toast. Ah, yes. It’ll be a fun day.

While seemingly complicated, gravlax—originally from Scandinavia—are actually a breeze to make yourself. All it takes is fresh salmon, a few seasonings, and a day or two for them all to meld together. You’ll need salt as the cure, and then my mom always supplements with a combination of light brown sugar, dill, and coriander. She often uses lemongrass as well, but fresh lemongrass can be hard to come by so for the sake of this recipe, we’ll omit.

Wondering the difference between smoked salmon and gravlax? Gravlax are salt cured with spices (not cooked or smoked) and smoked salmon is either cold or hot-smoked—often resulting in a firmer, flakier texture. The Huffington Post delves a little deeper in this article.

Though salt-cured, because the gravlax are not cooked, you’ll want to make sure you start with the freshest salmon. Great accompaniments are bagels and cream cheese, dill sauce (even a quick mix of dill, Greek yogurt, lemon, salt and pepper), and horseradish.

So, as promised, here is the recipe for homemade gravlax, one of my favorite things. Hope you enjoy!

Note: the Gravlax are on the bottom of the dish–on the top is smoked salmon. You can see the difference in texture!

Holiday Brunch and 3 Festive (and Sparkly) Cocktail Recipes

December 22, 2016 by Butter Loves Company

This past Sunday, Greg and I hosted some lovely friends and family at our place for a very merry holiday brunch. I’m not sure if there’s anything I enjoy more than getting people together over food and drink, and the holidays always seem to make it feel extra special. I love learning about people’s holiday traditions past and present: whether it is matching family Christmas pajamas, take-out with friends, going to an early movie, caroling or having fruitcake.

This holiday brunch is a new tradition for us (2^nd Annual this year!) and incorporates a few of our favorite things: cooking, eating, music, and champagne. 😉

What is brunch without a little bubbly? My go-to sparkly sipper for celebrations big and small is Korbel. It is delicious on it’s own—love those shimmering bubbles—and also a great champagne for cocktails. For brunch, we went the festive champagne cocktails route with a few different varieties. There was a Cranberry Rosemary Spritz—tart, herbaceous, and effervescent, a Sparkling Raspberry Lime Royale—sweetened with the delicious deep raspberry flavor of Chambord, and a Fig Sparkler, using a super easy house-made fig vodka as the base. All three use Korbel’s Brut Champagne but you could substitute with their Brut Rosé for an extra pop of color and flavor variety.

The rest of the menu included Greg’s famous sausage gravy, biscuits, Ottolenghi’s veggie tart, a sticky-bundt, gravlax and fixings, crepes, hasselback potatoes gratin (Which I undercooked…oh well!), bacon and eggs. We did everything in advance aside from making the eggs and baking the already-prepared biscuits and sticky bundt. I also made cookies the weekend before–and froze them in pre-measured (I realize I’m a little nuts) dough balls so I could just grab and bake once I had time.

Because we had prepped the food in advance, when everyone arrived on Sunday morning, I was stress-free and ready to welcome everyone a sparkly cocktail. If you’re ever looking to immediately put your guests in a fun and festive mood, pop a bottle of champagne. The sound alone will be enough to make everyone feel cheery right when they walk through the door. I think that’ll be a new holiday brunch tradition of ours—what’s yours?

Happiest Holidays to you and your families. Wishing you all a safe and warm time. All the hugs your way!

Cranberry Rosemary Spritz
Makes 1 drink

1 ounce Cranberry Rosemary Purée (recipe below)
4 ounces Korbel Brut Champagne
Sugared cranberries, for garnish (recipe below)
Rosemary sprig, for garnish

Instructions:

Pour the Cranberry Rosemary Purée into a champagne flute. Top with Champagne. Garnish with a skewer of sugared cranberries and a rosemary sprig. Stir gently with the skewer if the purée begins to settle. Enjoy!

To make the Cranberry Rosemary Purée: In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup fresh cranberries, 1 8-inch rosemary sprig, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and then reduce to low heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the cranberries burst and the liquid has reduced slightly. Turn off heat and remove rosemary with a fork and discard. Transfer cranberry mixture to a blender, allowing to cool a little beforehand if it is too hot. Blend until completely smooth. Transfer to a bowl or container for later use.

To make the Sugared Cranberries: Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup water to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add 1/2 cup fresh cranberries and cook until barely starting to soften, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cranberries to the prepared baking sheet. Allow to cool until no longer sticky, about 20 minutes. Pour 1/2 cup granulated sugar into a small bowl. Toss cranberries in the sugar to coat. Return to the baking sheet until ready to use.

Sparkling Raspberry Lime Royale
Makes 1 drink

1/4 cup granulated sugar, for glass rim
1 teaspoon lime zest, for glass rim
1 ounce Chambord
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
ice
3 1/2 ounces Korbel Brut Champagne or Brut Rose

Instructions:

In a wide shallow bowl or plate, combine the granulated sugar and lime zest with your hands, until the sugar is fragrant with lime. Use the cut side of a lime to moisten the rim of your coupe glass or champagne flute and press it into the lime sugar to rim the glass. Set aside.
In a cocktail shaker, combine Chambord, lime juice, and ice. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds and strain into a coupe glass or champagne flute. Top with champagne. Enjoy!

Fig Sparkler
Makes 1 drink

1 1/2 ounces fig vodka (recipe below)
1/2 ounce lemon juice
ice
3 ounces Korbel Brut Champagne

Instructions:

In a cocktail shaker, combine fig vodka and ice. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds and strain into a coupe glass or champagne flute. Top with champagne. Enjoy!

To make the fig vodka: Combine 1 1/2 cups vodka and 5-6 dried mission figs, each sliced in half (10-12 halves total, into a medium sealable jar or container. Seal jar and shake. Refrigerate for at least 2 days and, if you have time, a week or two, shaking the container every day. The longer you allow it to marinade, the more ‘figgy’ it’ll become. Strain out the dried figs, if desired, or save them to use as garnish on your figgy cocktails!

homemade cheese crackers

December 16, 2016 by Butter Loves Company

A few weeks ago, my best friend became my *fiancé*—what a word and what a whirlwind! I really can’t imagine having anyone else by my side to laugh with for life. Supergreg, as you know him via this site, is the most thoughtful person I’ve ever met. I’m one lucky girl!

Despite all of the many things we’ve been through together since we’ve met, and how much we’ve learned and changed personally, there is one thing that still rings true. Greg can demolish a box of Cheez-It crackers in one sitting (Love you boo!).

This recipe for homemade cheese crackers is my personal gift to Greg. A cracker honoring the great Cheez-It that we can from this point forward make at home. These are your adult Cheez-Its: deeply cheesy, salt-forward with a smoky undertone thanks to paprika and cayenne. Sharp cheddar cheese leads the way with Gouda by its side. If you can find aged Gouda—I used 3-year aged—it is wonderful for adding a funky-in-a-good-way cheesy stink. I’m really selling it, huh? If you can’t find aged Gouda, a smoked Gouda could be substituted for a slightly smokier alternative.

These homemade cheesy crackers teeter on the cookie line, since they don’t shatter like some crackers as they meet your teeth, but if you roll them thin, you’ll achieve that cracker-y crunch. They also pair perfectly with wine or beer as a cocktail hour snack.

Go on and enjoy the marriage of cheeses!

drizzled chocolate peppermint cookies

December 12, 2016 by Butter Loves Company

I’m very aware that the “chocolate with mint” camp is a divided one. On the one side, there are those who treasure the combination of rich chocolate with refreshingly herbaceous mint and leap at the opportunity to lick mint chocolate chip ice cream or crunch on a Girl Scout Cookie Thin Mint. On the other side, there are those who believe mint should be reserved for things like toothpaste and gum—adding the fragrant herb is simply not something they cannot get behind.

That said, while these chocolate peppermint cookies are mainly for those who appreciate the flavor combination, I think naysayers would be pleasantly surprised with the subtly of the peppermint as a complement to this cookie’s rich chocolate flavor.

With melted bittersweet chocolate in the batter, along with chocolate chips, followed by chocolate drizzle on top, these cookies do not lack chocolate. There is just a dash of peppermint extract in the batter (which could actually be omitted) and festive candy cane crumbles on top resulting in just enough peppermint essence to give you a cooling freshness between bites of chocolate, but not too much to be overpowering.

These chocolate peppermint cookies keep well in the freezer (fully baked, sealed tightly, for up to 3 weeks); making them a perfect option for baking ahead around the holidays. They also look beautiful on a holiday dessert table—you may even see your uncle who hates chocolate and mint together grabbing for one.

More for your chocolate lovers:

triple chocolate cookies

homemade oreo cookies

chocolate marble loaf cake

chocolate pecan torte with strawberry buttercream

molasses cookies

December 8, 2016 by Butter Loves Company

If you’re like me, you’ve been humming “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” since the moment the cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes were cleared from your Thanksgiving table. The ‘it’s too early for Christmas decorations’ shame flew off, and the holiday jammies and baking mitts went on.

Molasses cookies have long been a favorite of mine because of their warming spiciness and their moist and chewy profile. The perfect molasses cookies, IMHO, are always rolled in granulated sugar before baking, and should be moist (almost wet) in their centers. They should hold their circular shape and have firm edges and crackled tops—the signature sign of flawless crunch to chew ratio.

It has taken me years to develop a molasses cookie recipe that embodied all the characteristics I was looking for. Many attempts resulted in cookies with too much spread and bend (too much moisture), or were too crunchy without that essential chew (too little moisture). This recipe yields a cookie that fits my long molasses cookie wish-list. I hope (and think) it will fit yours too. After all, I did make the list… and checked it twice. 😉

Bonus: baking these cookies will save some burn time on your favorite holiday candle. They fill your home with the most festive aroma!

Bonus Bonus: these cookies should not be limited to the holiday season alone. I’ve declared these cookies as the perfect texture for ice cream cookie sandwiches. If you try that, please let me know how they come out, and what ice cream flavor you chose for the middle!

The cookies don’t have to end there! Here’s a few others you might enjoy:

white chocolate macadamia cookies

triple chocolate cookies

bakery-style sugar cookies

iced brownie thins

perfect white chocolate macadamia cookies

September 15, 2016 by Butter Loves Company

Nestled into a tiny nook in the corner of the kitchen of my parents’ house sits a shoddy convection oven. Place a piece of bread inside (potato sandwich bread to be specific), twist the knob to high, and an hour later you may return to find a faintly golden browned toast. And that’s if you’re lucky. Atop the dud electronic, sits a package of cookies. While they are most definitely from Costco, the residual heat from the oven below warmed them up to a faux homemade fresh-from-the-oven temperature.

Three types of cookies line up in rows within the container: chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and white chocolate macadamia nut. Oooh, those white chocolate macadamia cookies. They are so good. They’re sweet from the milkiness of white chocolate, crunchy and nutty from the thick macadamia nuts, and doughy in the centers—the sign they were under-baked to perfection.

This recipe for white chocolate macadamia cookies brings me right back to my parents’ kitchen, nibbling on Costco cookies “fresh” off the top of the convection oven. Though, these are even better than I remember, as homemade most often seems to be. They have crispy edges and soft chewy centers. Buttery and sweet with an even spread from a pre-bake chill. I think it is the addition of a dash of almond extract that makes them reminiscent of birthday cake batter too (Skillet cookie birthday cake, anyone?).

This makes a big batch of white chocolate macadamia cookies, nearly three-dozen 2 1/2-inch cookies. You could save half the dough in the freezer for a future craving if you’re so inclined. Mix up a batch and enjoy fresh from the oven, warmed to perfection, no shoddy convection oven required.

Not a white chocolate fan or craving more cookies? Why not give these triple chocolate cookies a try. Or, my favorite M&M cookies are always a winner.

quick peach compote

September 10, 2016 by Butter Loves Company

Growing up in New England, the first few weeks of fall kicked off my favorite time of year. The sweep of crisp air pushes out the summer humidity as colorful leaves crinkle beneath your boots. This meant soccer season, cider doughnuts, apple picking, and holiday events with friends and family. If you’re a holiday season nut like I am, you surely understand the stomach butterflies of excitement that arrive around this time of year.

While autumn in Los Angeles doesn’t quite compare to the fall back east—the summer heat seems to stick around through October here—there is one constant of the fall season no matter where you are: fall baking. The warm spices of cinnamon and nutmeg rush in. Apple pie and pumpkin bread are begging to be in your oven, filling your kitchen with an almost tangible comfort and calmness.

While we hold onto the final official moments of summer (and summer produce) and anticipate the beauty of fall, let’s grab a few last peaches from the market and celebrate the two seasons together with this quick peach compote.

This easy recipe uses juicy fresh summer peaches and borrows warm scents of cinnamon and nutmeg from the impending fall to ease you seamlessly from beach days to sweater weather. Simply slice or dice the peaches, simmer, and fifteen minutes later your compote is ready. The result is a terrific sweet, tangy, and spiced topping for morning yogurt bowls or evening ice cream. You could also spread atop toast, perhaps along with some ricotta cheese.

plum hand pies

August 24, 2016 by Butter Loves Company

A few precarious Waze drives across Los Angeles scoping out the neighborhood’s farmers’ market and we’ve finally found our favorite. Just so happens it is right in our Hollywood backyard.

It was love at first sight or, more specifically, love at first sight of the oysters being freshly shucked at the first stall.

Continue up the pavement a few steps, past the casual cool parents with arms around their stylish kids and the effortless beauties holding baskets with flowers fluttering over the wicker edges. Keep going by the chef piling up the freshest ingredients for the night’s service and the person you swear you recognize from Law & Order SVU, and you’ll arrive at a most-colorful stall.

It’s mid- to late-summer and stone fruits are the cream of the crop. Mounds and mounds of peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, and pluots await you. Each fruit wearing a different jewel toned coat. Who knew there were twelve varieties of plum? From a golden yellow with a soft and sugar sweet flavor to a deep dark indigo with a tart skin and apricot-esque taste, this farm’s stand has it all. Stock up and enjoy with everything. But most importantly, in my opinion, bake!

Is there a better showcase for summer fruit than pie? There’s something about wrapping peaches or plums in a tender buttery crust and letting the oven bring out the fruit’s fresh and tangy juices that feels incredibly homey and effortless. The fresh ingredients really do the work.

So here we are with Plum Hand Pies; a portable version of your favorite summer pie. I always prefer a homemade crust but feel free to use store bought if that is your preference or if you’re tight on time.

mini challah loaves

August 22, 2016 by Butter Loves Company

Chewy, eggy, braided mini challah loaves—perfect with butter, for sandwiches or treat them like bagels and smear them with cream cheese. Be sure to use the extras for challah french toast—dreamy!

From my plane ride to Boston, something a little different…

—–

She settles deep into her window seat for the six-hour flight and pops open her book to where she left off. She’s barely a chapter in but she leafs back a few pages—another vivid daydream had taken her away from the words her eyes scanned for the past fifteen minutes. Or, had she fallen asleep? Tough to tell these days.

It takes only a few moments for the lids to weigh down over her brown eyes. Her thoughts drift away to the sounds of twin toddlers giggling in the row in front of her. They’re bouncing in their seats beaming with excitement to be flying across the country, “Mom, look! We’re in the CLOUDS!”

They each wore French braids, just like she had nearly every day of her childhood. In this moment, they epitomize pure happiness. She sighs.

She drifts further into memories and transports back to the day she made challah bread for the first time. She had woken early from a nightmare and began to braid the challah dough she had prepared the night before to get her mind off things. It was profoundly therapeutic; rolling and twisting the eggy dough.

The buns had barely hit the cooling rack before she ripped into the puffy loaves, spreading their soft centers with butter and sprinkling with flaky salt. Her boyfriend, now awake to the smell of freshly baked bread, hurried over to grab a bite of his own. Their eyes locked and they both smiled. It was so good. In this moment, she imagined herself as one of those giggling toddlers: she was purely happy. This time trading those braids in the hair for another, much more delicious, braid she could share with everyone around her.

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