Compound butter makes for endless flavor profiles. Discover the basics of homemade butter here.

Pumpkin Caramel Browned Butter

Ingredients:
2 sticks of unsalted butter
¼ tsp cardamom seeds, powdered
2 pinches powdered mace (less than 1/16th tsp)
3 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tbsp water
2 tbsp pumpkin purée

Instructions:
Place sticks of butter in a small saucepan on medium-low heat and melt. Once the butter is melted, stay close, stirring often until the butter changes color to a light golden brown.

You will first see the butter beginning to foam as the milk solids rise to the top. Keep stirring, watching for the butter to change color. Once you notice the color becoming more golden, you may want to remove it from the heat so it doesn’t burn. This whole process should take about 8-10 minutes. Let cool slightly, then pour the browned butter into a container.

To make the caramel, melt the brown sugar and water on medium-low heat. Stir until bubbles begin to form. Continue stirring so the sugar doesn’t burn. Once it tastes like caramel, in about 1-2 minutes, pour into the melted browned butter.

Add the 2 tbsp of pumpkin purée, the powdered cardamom, and mace and stir everything together. Refrigerate for 35-40 minutes or until the butter solidifies. Remove from the fridge and use an immersion blender to whip the butter. Then place it back in the fridge until it solidifies enough to roll in wax paper.

Form the butter into 2 logs and place each on top of a piece of wax paper. Roll the paper around the butter logs and twist the ends. Place in the freezer until ready to use.

Maple Ginger Bourbon Butter

Ingredients:
2 sticks softened unsalted butter
4 tsp pure maple syrup
2 tsp bourbon
1 ½ tsp ginger, grated on a microplane
pinch of salt

Instructions:
Stir together all the ingredients until well incorporated.
Shape into two logs and place each onto a piece of wax paper.

Roll the paper around the butter and twist the ends. Place in the freezer until ready to use.

Anchovy Chive Butter

Ingredients:
2 sticks softened butter
3 anchovy fillets (in hot oil) crushed to a paste
¾ tsp gochugaru
2 tbsp finely chopped chives
juice of ¼ lemon
sprinkle of salt

Instructions:
Stir together all the ingredients until well incorporated.

Shape into two logs and place each onto a piece of wax paper.

Roll the paper around the butter and twist the ends. Place in the freezer until ready to use.

Recipes by Veda Sankaran / Photography by Dave Bryce / Styling by Keith Recker / Bread by Crustworthy / Textile by Kendra Russo / Ceramics by Frank DeFabo and Billy Ritter / With Support from Buy Fresh, Buy Local of Western Pennsylvania and PA Preferred