Whip your butter into an airy cloud and use it on so many things!
Let’s talk about butter. It comes salted and unsalted. It comes solid in sticks and spreadable in tubs. It is a major ingredient in most baked goods and sauces. We love to sauté all kinds of things in butter. And don’t forget basting with melted butter! And speaking of melted butter, what would popcorn be without it? There are just so many dishes that would not be as good as they are if it weren’t for what butter adds to them. But you know what? Butter on its own is also a spectacularly glorious thing, especially when we’re talking about whipped butter.
Why whip butter? I would say ‘why not?’ but I have a better answer! If you have some great bread that is just calling out for butter, it’s very frustrating when that butter isn’t soft enough to spread. You cut a pat, you put it on the bread, you take your knife and then you…argh!! You try to spread the hard butter and all it does is tear your slice of bread. You can always wait for your butter to soften, but I find that waiting (when the delicious bread is right in front of you) very difficult to do. Or you could use spreadable butter, which is fine and tastes good, but spreadable butter has vegetable oil in it and when it comes to bread and butter, I am a purist! So this is why you need to make this whipped butter: it’s only butter with a bit of milk and when you’re ready, it’s ready to spread.
The other reason you should whip butter is that it takes about 5 minutes to make. Yep, that’s it. Softened room-temperature butter and a little milk go into a bowl, you turn on your hand mixer, and in minutes you have this fluffy, creamy, super spreadable whipped delight. When something is this easy and this delicious, there’s really no reason not to make it.
Every kind of bread cries out for butter! The savory ones, like Irish Soda Bread and Honey Wheat Sunflower Bread, and the sweet ones, like Pumpkin Bread and Spiced Applesauce Bread are all made complete when you spread the slices with this light, velvety smooth whipped butter.
All about butter…
There is, and has been for a long time, a lot of debate about the health benefits of butter, starting with whether there are any. Let’s explore…
Butter is made from churning milk or cream; here in the U.S., our butter is usually made from cow’s milk, but there are also kinds of butter made from sheep’s milk, goat milk, even yak milk! But because it’s made from milk, butter is high in saturated fat. And high in calories, too. But butter is also a great source of calcium, which is essential for bone health, and it also contains lots of vitamins, like A, D, and E.
There are also studies that claim butter from grass-fed cows provides more health benefits because it appears to have lower levels of saturated fats and more unsaturated fats than regular butter. And while butter does contain some trans fats, the amount is not nearly as much as those found in processed foods. What’s especially important to know here is that because whipped butter is lightened by the air added into it, a serving has fewer calories and fat than standard stick butter. But all of these facts bring me to a main point about butter: it is a natural, whole food and that is a very good thing – but like many very good things, it’s best to enjoy it in moderation.
How to Make Ahead and Store?
Whipped butter can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days; it can also be stored in the freezer for anywhere between 6-12 months (you can thaw the frozen butter in the fridge overnight or on the counter until it reaches room temperature).
What Kind of Milk is Best for This Recipe?
Go for the full-fat whole milk. You can also use heavy cream or half ‘n half. But this recipe will also work with low-fat or skim milk… it even works with water!
Serving Suggestions
So we’ve already established that whipped butter is beyond delicious on any and every kind of bread. But just imagine your favorite breakfast foods, like Buttermilk Pancakes or French Toast Cups topped with fresh whipped butter. And let’s move on from breakfast to our afternoon and evening meals: add some wonderful depth and richness to your side dishes – Sauteed Broccoli, Mashed Potatoes, Carrots – by topping them with some whipped butter.
But wait, there’s more! Something I love to do with whipped butter is flavor it, or incorporate some add-ins. If you mix some cinnamon and sugar into it, you will take these already delicious Pecan Sticky Buns to a whole new level. And flavoring whipped butter with a little vanilla extract and some grated orange zest adds so much lovely richness to these Orange and White Chocolate Muffins. On the savory side, I love to mix some blue cheese crumbles into whipped butter and then put a big spoonful on a hot Sirloin Steak, or mix in some chopped Kalamata olives and some herbs to top Mediterranean Baked Salmon.
How to Make Whipped Butter
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Place the room temperature butter into a mixing bowl.
- Add the milk to the bowl with the butter.
- Using an electric mixer, start beating on low speed to combine the ingredients.
- Gradually increase the speed to high and continue to whip the mixture for 3-4 minutes, or until it becomes light and fluffy.
- Transfer the whipped butter to a serving dish or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
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