tropical pineapple coconut scones

September 18, 2019 by Butter Loves Company

This post has been sponsored by DOLE®. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Scones are one of my favorite quick breakfast baked goods. Their tender centers and crispy, buttery edges are a perfectly satisfying combination. These Tropical Pineapple Coconut Scones are made a little healthier, and a little more delicious, by using wheat flour and DOLE® Fridge Pack Pineapple Chunks.

The combination of pineapple and coconut in the scones will transport you to the tropics, even if you are rushing out the door for work. You’ll love how simple they are to make; you don’t even need a stand or hand mixer—just a big bowl and your own hands. If you gather the ingredients together, you can be eating the scones in less than 30 minutes. Hello, tropical scone paradise!

Using the Pineapple Chunks is a great way to incorporate fruit servings into your breakfast. We’ll use about half of one DOLE Fridge Pack (each has 3.5 servings of fruit), and then you can just pop the cover back on for easy fridge storage. (Snack on them later or try adding them to another recipe!) They are naturally gluten-free, rich in Vitamin C, non-GMO, and the packaging is BPA-Free.

Because the Pineapple Chunks are in 100% pineapple juice, you can actually make a quick pineapple glaze for the scones using the juice and a little confectioners sugar. This is optional for these scones but adds even more tropical flair.

The new DOLE Fridge packs are available in 4 varieties, and you can find them near the Canned Fruit at your local grocery store:

I found myself daydreaming about laying on a beach chair on a faraway island when I was eating these. It is a welcome way to start the day if you ask me. I can’t wait to see how yours turn out!

Xo,
Jenna

For more recipe ideas, check out Dolesunshine.com!

kentucky butter cake

August 15, 2019 by Butter Loves Company

This butter cake will surprise you. I had never had Kentucky Butter Cake before the random Tuesday when I made this recipe and sat in awe of its deliciousness.

While the ingredients are uncomplicated, and the cake is seemingly simple with no icing or frosting, you’ll be surprised at the satisfying flavor the moment you take a bite. I officially want to make this Kentucky Butter Cake recipe a weekly occurrence.

The butter and buttermilk in the cake give it moistness and body and baking it in a bundt pan leaves it with a sweet, thinly crisp exterior that reminds me of the top of a corn muffin from Dunkin’ Donuts. (Or, I guess just Dunkin’ now.) And, if you’ve had one of those, you know how good that flavor and texture is.

After you bake this rich butter cake, you pierce its warm top with a skewer or toothpick to make tiny little tunnels for your BUTTER SAUCE to seep in. I mean, enough said. The key is to pour the sauce, which you prepare while the bundt cake is baking, over the poked cake while it is still hot and in the pan. It soaks into the crumb of the cake to add flavor and moisture into its crevices.

I’m not positive where Kentucky Butter Cake got its origin, having just stumbled across it when looking for a simple and delicious vanilla pound cake, but after doing some research it seems to me that the luxurious butter, sugar, vanilla sauce is what makes this butter cake an official Kentucky Butter Cake. Wherever it came from, I’m glad it’s here!

If you’re looking for other delicious cake recipes, might I suggest:

Berry Ricotta Cake

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

pumpkin pecan trifle aka thanksgiving dessert “stuffing”

November 2, 2018 by Butter Loves Company

This post has been sponsored by Eagle Brand®. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If I haven’t made it abundantly clear already, I should let you know now I am obsessed with the holiday season. Seeing pumpkins resting on doorsteps around Thanksgiving or string lights crossing branches in front of festive houses warms my little heart. I love getting together with family and friends during this time of year to celebrate, reflect, and simply enjoy good food and company. It is also one of the best times to bake. Hellooo, pumpkin.

This year, I’m combining some Thanksgiving dessert favorites into one incredible Thanksgiving Dessert “Stuffing” because why should the bready dinner side get all the love? If you like custard pie, pumpkin pie, or pecan pie at Thanksgiving (or anytime, really), you’ll love this Pumpkin Pecan Trifle which has a combination of all three, boosted with flavor using Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk in the pudding and buttercream.

If you aren’t familiar with sweetened condensed milk, have no fear! Simply put, it is milk from which the water has been removed and sugar has been added. Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk literally has just two simple ingredients: milk and sugar.

For this trifle, there are a few key elements that are easy to put together on their own and then layer amongst each other. First you’ll make a moist and spicy pumpkin pound cake, which can be made a few days ahead. You could substitute with a store-bought pound cake in a pinch. Next, you’ll make a batch of candied pecans and try not to eat them all before you assemble the trifle. Then you’ll put together the custard-inspired layer, which uses instant vanilla pudding as a shortcut. Finally, you’ll whip up a small batch of sweetened condensed milk buttercream to top the dessert off. Greg exclaimed that it was one of the best tasting buttercreams I have ever made. The pure milk and sugar turns delicious buttercream into amazing buttercream for you to share with family and friends.

While it seems like a lot of steps, it is truly a cinch as once you have the four components. Assembling this decadent trifle takes just moments.

Pumpkin Pecan Trifle AKA Thanksgiving Dessert “Stuffing”

Ingredients:

1 pumpkin pound cake, cooled and cut into 1-2 inch cubes (recipe follows)
4 cups candied pecans (recipe follows)
8 cups Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk pudding (recipe follows)
3 cups Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk buttercream (recipe follows)

To Assemble:

In a trifle dish, dollop about 1 cup of the pudding on the bottom and spread evenly to the edges. Top with a layer of pumpkin pound cake cubes, followed by a sprinkle of candied pecans (about 1/2 cup). Top the pecans with another cup of the pudding, followed by a layer of pumpkin pound cake cubes, followed by a sprinkle of candied pecans. Repeat these layers until you are out of pudding and pumpkin bread. Sprinkle your last pumpkin bread with some candied pecans.
Using a piping bag or just with a spatula, pipe or spread the buttercream across the top of the trifle. Sprinkle with a few final pecans. Refrigerate for an hour or two before serving.

For the Pumpkin Pound Cake:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a 8 x 4 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Butter or spray the pan with non-stick spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a large bowl or the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, allowing each to incorporate before adding the next. Add the vanilla and pumpkin and mix to combine.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, stirring until everything is combined.
Scrape batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes.

For the Candied Pecans

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
16 ounces (about 4 cups) unsalted pecans halves
1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon water
Preheat oven to 300ºF, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, add both sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until combined. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg white, vanilla, and water together until frothy. Add the pecans and gently toss until the pecans are well coated. Add the sugar and cinnamon mixture and toss until pecans are covered.
Spread the pecans out in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. The sugar mixture will harden on the pecans.

For the Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk Pudding:

2 14 oz cans Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk, reserve 2 tablespoons in a separate container for the buttercream
3 cups cold water
2 packages instant vanilla pudding (the 4-serving sizes)

In a large bowl, whisk together condensed milk, cold water and instant pudding until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate until set.

For the Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk Buttercream:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 tablespoons Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons whole milk
3 cups confectioners sugar

In a medium bowl using a hand mixer (or in your stand mixer with the whisk attachment), beat together the butter, condensed milk, vanilla, and milk until combined. Begin adding sugar, slowly, and continue adding and whisking until all the sugar has been added and the buttercream reaches smooth peaks.

seeded whole wheat banana bread

February 4, 2018 by Butter Loves Company

From Lindsay Maitland Hunt’s new cookbook Healthyish, this Seeded Whole Wheat Banana Bread is the healthy banana bread recipe you will keep going back to!

If you aim to eat a little healthier most of the time, I hear you. Generally speaking, despite the constant availability of cookies and other desserts in our apartment, we tend to eat fairly healthy in our day-to-day. Okay, maybe healthy-ish is more accurate.

There are no off-limits restrictions for cravings. I have always believed that getting too wrapped up in something you consider a “diet” sets you up for failure and there is no reason to set yourself up to feel bad. By healthy-ish I mean, we try to cook what our bodies crave and keep our meals balanced where possible. For example, if you want mac and cheese, drop in some kale or spinach as well, or try making your salad dressing at home, or maybe something can be so delicious you won’t even realize that—Bonus!—it is also good for you.

Lindsay Maitland Hunt’s new cookbook Healthy-ish is the embodiment of how we cook most days. Filled with recipes that are satisfying, simple, and good for you, but not too good for you, this cookbook allows you to celebrate your pasta cravings, surprise yourself with easy flavorful sauces, and still have a sweet treat to boot.

One of the first recipes I tried from the book is this Seeded Whole Wheat Banana Bread. Banana bread is such a great staple bread, and there are so many options for personalizing. Take a look at this Bourbon Banana Bread or this Brown Butter Banana Bread with Crumble and you will appreciate that there can never be too many banana bread recipes. Each brings its own flavor profile and texture, despite its shared over-ripe banana beginnings.

This seeded version is no exception. Filled with texturizing sesame seeds, poppy seeds and walnuts, it becomes a whole new entity. The little seeds crunch and pop in your mouth keeping things interesting. Since we’re only using whole wheat flour here, we’ve got another reason to feel good about cutting a thick slice of this bread, and slathering it with a hefty pat of butter. Hey, we are being healthy-ish afterall.

For this recipe, I used my new favorite Non-Stick Pro 1lb Loaf Pan from OXO, which, at 8.5 x 4.5 inches, is the perfect size to hold in the thick batter and allow it to rise nice and tall. The square edges are great for keeping your bread’s structure as well. I also scooped and measured with OXO’s Stainless Steel Measuring Cups and Spoons Set which has handy magnetic handles to keep the cups and spoons together for easy storing. Cool your bread on a good cooling rack like this Non-Stick Pro Cooling and Baking Rack which is PFOA-free and swiss-engineered for exceptional performance and food release. The wire pattern is optimized for 360° air circulation, for quick cooling and even baking.

If you haven’t tested the temperature of your oven before, I highly recommend doing so. Even if you set your oven to a certain temperature, there can be quite a variation depending on the model and environment. At my parents’ house, for example, you have to set it to 400°, if you are looking for 350°. Grab an oven thermometer, like the OXO Chef’s Precision Oven Thermometer, and find out your oven’s baseline.

Thank you to OXO for partnering with me on this post! As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for your support of the brands that make blc possible! xo

strawberry cinnamon rolls

January 10, 2018 by Butter Loves Company

Malls have taken quite the turn since I first remember going to Limited Too to buy matching velour outfits with my best friends. These days, malls have been moving towards becoming destination centers fitted with high-end shops, courtyards, theaters, restaurants, gourmet food halls, and seasonal event programming. While the scents of too much cologne wafting from teen clothing stores are being overtaken by the smells of charcuterie boards and fresh pasta, there is still one enduring mall scent that I hope never leaves us. That is the scent of freshly baked, dripping with gooey icing, cinnamon buns. The sinfully sweet, beautifully buttery smell of puffy dough swirled with warming cinnamon, slathered in too much cream cheese icing is almost too good to be legal.

After dabbling in a little in-store holiday shopping this year (I know, what a concept!), I was reminded of how tremendous the smell of cinnamon rolls is. While I, albeit narrowly, avoided purchasing said cinnamon rolls on the spot, the seed was planted. I needed cinnamon rolls in my life. Not long after, we were devouring these homemade Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls.

Now, I’ve made a variety of cinnamon rolls in my life, but I have never been fully satisfied with the flavor and texture of the dough. It was either too dry or too sticky, resulting in a mediocre cinnamon bun. The buck stops here! This is the cinnamon roll recipe I will stick with for life. Of all the yeasted doughs I have worked with, this one may be the dreamiest. It is fluffy but sturdy, puffy but not too airy. A cinch to roll out and fill with cinnamon sugar goodness, without becoming a sticky mess.

The trick to this dough’s especially amazing flavor is all in the ingredients. In the dough, I used Vital Farms Pasture Raised Eggs, and their Pasture Raised Butter within the dough, filling, and frosting. Vital Farms eggs come from natural pastures, which are never treated with herbicides, pesticides, or artificial fertilizers. As we think more about the impact our food has on our bodies and environment, it is incredible to read about the humane treatment of their hens and cows.

The yolks in the Vital Farms eggs are a stunning golden orange that you won’t find an a standard grocery store egg. During our holiday brunch, we also used them within a veggie tart, which had a noticeably supreme eggy flavor. I tend to think that the eggs, combined with the rich butter, cinnamon sugar, strawberries, and cream cheese all combined here to form a perfect cinnamon roll bliss. Greg declared these the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever made and I have “forced” him to taste test quite a few.

When strawberries bake, they transform into a deep juicy tart sweet bursts. I liken it to what happens when you roast a tomato. As is, they are amazing. But roasted? The process brings out a whole new depth of flavor that hits the all the right zones. That’s what happens to the chunks of strawberries that are tucked in the swirls of these cinnamon rolls. If you are feeling traditional, simply omit the strawberries here!

Bookmark this one for a Valentine’s or Gal-entine’s morning treat. The strawberries give the rolls a festive pop of red color and a little extra sweetness. I declare these our new go-to cinnamon rolls. No trip to the mall required.

A big thanks to Vital Farms for partnering with me on this post. All opinions are my own. And, thank YOU for supporting food that matters and the brands who make Butter Loves Company possible!

gingerbread with brandied apples

October 22, 2017 by Butter Loves Company

From Ottolenghi’s Sweet, this dense, robust gingerbread recipe is topped with warm, perfect-for-Fall brandied apples.

I’m never been a big birthday person. I love your birthday. I’ll make you a cake. I’ll go to your party. I’ll even plan your party if you want me to! But, my own birthday. Not so much. This year was a bit of a whirlwind and we ended up going out with some friends to a cool bar/magic show in Hollywood, and then ventured out nearby for the rest of the night. It was a ton of fun!

Why am I talking about birthdays? Oh yeah! Because what did I pull out of my gift bag this year? copy of Ottolenghi’s new cookbook, Sweet. If you’ve cooked from, or have even flipped through the pages to ogle the photos, in Yotam Ottolenghi’s other books, Plenty, Plenty More, or Jerusalem, you’ll know he has a way of turning a mish mash of ingredients into the most visually vibrant and deceptively delicious dishes you can imagine. This time, the master chef is taking on the sweets world along with co-author Helen Goh, and you can probably guess that I was just a little pumped to get baking from this book.

As luck would have it, some blogger friends and I are celebrating the best of fall flavors today, which includes the Fall all-star…drum roll please…apples! The autumn favorite fruit is super versatile and I’m so excited to share a plethora of recipes for your perusal below. Whether you’re looking for sweet or savory, everyday or celebration, apples can fit the bill. For my contribution, I turned to my newest cookbook to see what Ottolenghi would do with apples.

Enter: Gingerbread with Brandied Apples. This gingerbread recipe yields a cake that is dark in color, dense in texture, and deep in flavor. There is a substantial ginger punch from ground ginger and spicy crystallized ginger. The hefty cup of blackstrap molasses gives it that robust, almost a little bitter flavor. Wondering what the difference between regular molasses and blackstrap molasses is? I got you! Check out these run-downs from Serious Eats and The Kitchn. To make the gingerbread extra special, we’re topping it with apples reduced in a brandy sauce. Honestly, you could just make the brandied apples and use them for an ice cream or yogurt topping and you would not be mad about it. In this case, the brandied apples give the gingerbread a little freshness as the juices seep into the cake’s crevices.

Look around on social for the hashtag #AisforalltheApples to discover all of the apple recipes in this virtual celebration or click through one of the links following the recipe to explore some of my favorite bloggers’ contributions!

Cloudy Kitchen’s Salted Caramel and Apple Babka

Square Meal Round Table’s Chai Spiced Tarte Tatin

The Wood and Spoon’s Maple Apple Cake

The Cooking of Joy’s Deep Fried Apple Dumplings with Miso Caramel Dipping Sauce

Pensive Foodie’s Mini Bacon Crusted Apple Pies

My Kitchen Love’s Bird’s Nest Caramel Apple Cake

More Icing Than Cake’s Apple Butter Pretzels with Rosemary Cheddar Dip

Casey Joy Lister’s Waldorf Salad’s Twisted Sister

The Kitchen Sink’s Apple Cheddar Loaf

What Should I Make For’s Apple Puff Pastry Tarts

Jessie Sheehan Bakes’ Apple Fritters

Smart in the Kitchen’s Gluten Free Apple Cranberry Crisp

This Healthy Table’s Cardamom Apple Tart

Figs & Flour’s Apple Purple Potato Pizza

Something New for Dinner’s Savory Bread Pudding with Apples, Sausage, and Pecan

Always Eat Dessert’s Apple Spice Scones with Maple Bourbon Glaze

Rezel Kealoha’s Rose Poached Apples with Rosewater Reduction

The Soup Solution’s Fennel Sausage and and Apple Dressing (Stuffing)

Lemon Thyme and Ginger’s Smoky Maple Apple Dutch Baby

Gobble the Cook’s One Pan Pork Chops and Sausages with Apple

Hola Jalapeno’s Fluffy Apple Chili Biscuits

Salt and Wind’s Pomegranate Ginger Apple Cider Punch

What Annie’s Eating’s Butternut Squash/Apple Soup with Asiago and Sage Croutons

Flours in Your Hair’s Brown Butter Bourbon Apple Pie

Confetti Kitchen’s Kale Salad with Chicken and Apple

Salted Plains’ Gluten-Free Apple Crumb Cake

Easy and Delish’s Fun Candy Corn Apple Pops

This Mess is Ours’ Easy Baked Apple Custard

Butter Loves Company’s Gingerbread with Brandied Apples

Zestful Kitchen’s Puffed Apple Pancake

Sweet Pillar Food’s Apple Honey Brie

A Farmgirl’s Dabbles Peanut Butter Apple Cookies

Amee’s Savory Dish’s Peanut Butter Protein Dip

Especially Southern Dishes’ Apple Pie Egg Rolls

Pie Girl Bakes’ Salted Caramel Apple Pie

Cocoa and Salt’s Vegan Apple Stuffin’ Muffins

Saltnpepperhere’s Honey Apple Muffins

Worthy Pause’s Thanksgiving-in-Your-Mouth Paleo Stuffing

Baking The Goods’ Apple Cheddar and Thyme Scones

Smart in the Kitchen’s Gluten Free Apple Cranberry Crisp

Measuring Cups Optional’s Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake

Inspired by the Seasons’ Brussels Sprout & Apple Slaw

Sprouting Radiance’s White Bean and Apple Soup

Feed the Swimmer’s Apple Buckwheat Galette with Halva and Maple Tahini

It’s a Veg World After All’s Individual Microwave Apple Crisp

Farm and Coast Cookery’s Apple Cider Donut “French Toast”

Ful-filled’s Milopita – Greek Apple Cake

Allo Maman, What’s Cooking’s Apple & Camembert Tarte Tatin

Champagne and Cookies’ Apple Cheddar Galette

What’s Karen Cooking’s Country Apple Bundt Cake with Cardamom Apple Compote

The Foodie and the Fit’s Venetian Bread Pudding with Apples

Flotte Lotte’s Apple Bread with Cinnamon Butter

simple berry ricotta cake

August 8, 2017 by Butter Loves Company

When you’re feeling like a slightly sweet, super moist, and surprisingly easy dessert or breakfast option this simple berry ricotta cake might be just what you’re looking for.

It is the perfect answer for the plentitude of summer berries basking in the sun on your counter, or the florescent lights of your refrigerator. It is the answer to that extra ricotta left over from your weekend pizza. It is the magic solution to use the three eggs left over in the carton. And, while it is good for finishing up some ingredients that are begging to be used, it is also worthy of an extra trip to the farmers market or grocery store to grab the juiciest looking blueberries or the sweetest raspberries.

Ricotta cheese is a wonder worker in baked goods, yielding an almost guaranteed moist, soft result. This berry ricotta cake has the kind of crumb you can pick up with a light press of the back of your fork.

Feel free to personalize this fluffy ricotta cake with your preferred berry combination. Strawberries and blueberries? Blackberries and raspberries? Just like the books you read as a kid, we’re choosing our own adventure here. I imagine a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream would be welcomed atop this cake for a little extra extra. In fact, I am sure it would be.

I consider this simple berry ricotta cake to be of the perfect summer dessert variety. It is welcoming of summer’s ease and highlights summer produce just right. Call it old fashioned, but this cake is mixed simply with a whisk and spatula. No stand mixer. No hand mixer. No problem!

I hope you find this recipe as tasty as we do. If you give it a try, please do let me know what you think in the comments, or hashtag your photo on social media with #butterlovescompany so I can see how it came out!

Looking for other cake recipes? Check out this Chocolate Marble Loaf Cake or this Lemon Loaf with Lavender Glaze!

thai chili coconut cream doughnuts

March 4, 2017 by Butter Loves Company

Sometimes you start the day with a nourishing smoothie, and end it with a doughnut. It’s all about that balance.

Ever since I made these brioche doughnuts, my mind has been swirling with reasons (excuses) to make them again. After one glance over my shoulder at the bushel of almost dried out Thai bird chilies hanging in our kitchen, I knew my next move. Herein, we have the Thai Chili Coconut Cream Doughnuts. As an ode to some of our favorite Thai curries, which are deep with heat, yet balanced by creamy coconut milk, we are steeping the Thai bird chilies in a milky cream of coconut mixture to create the coconut pastry cream that is piped into your freshly fried doughnuts.

The combination of buttery brioche dough rolled in vanilla sugar and the slightly spicy, creamy coconut filling is the one of the best excuses I could ever think of. For your filling, you’ll use some cornstarch to help your custard thicken up like a pastry cream. No Thai chilies? You could definitely omit and stick to a coconut cream. Alternatively, you could experiment with a jalapeno or serrano pepper—just be sure to test along the way to make sure your filling doesn’t end up too fire-y hot.

These Thai Chili Coconut Cream Doughnuts are a great weekend project as the brioche dough is best prepped and shaped a day ahead, left to proof overnight in the refrigerator, and fried up on Sunday morning while you sip your coffee in your jammies.

Because the brioche doughnut dough takes a day to prepare (mostly inactive), it is great to prep the pastry cream the same day to mix the dough so it will be chilled and ready to use as soon as you you fry the doughnuts.

Here’s to a happy weekend!

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.

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.