Made to Share: Butter-Centric Recipes That Turn Simple Dishes into Delicacies

Join the movement of more togetherness, gratuitous hospitality, and the gift of shared experiences with recipes perfect for entertaining.

CLASSIC SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Adapted from Your Baking Bestie 
Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 c. unsalted butter chilled, cubes
• 1½ c. granulated sugar, reserve half cup for rolling dough
• 1 egg, chilled
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• 3 c. all-purpose flour

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl with a hand mixer cream butter and 1 cup of sugar until smooth, at least 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and egg. In a separate bowl, combine baking powder, salt, and flour. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredient mixing bowl a little at a time. Mix until thoroughly blended. For crispest stamping designs, chill dough for at least 3 hours. Roll dough into balls slightly larger than golf ball size. Roll dough balls in granulated sugar. Using a cookie stamp, center over the ball and push down until dough starts to squeeze out around the stamp. Slowly lift and remove the stamp. If desired, trim any excess dough around the stamped design. Bake for 12–13 minutes. Cool cookies on cookie sheet until firm enough to transfer to the cooling rack.

PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Adapted from Recipes by Molly and Simply Recipes
Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature 
• 1 c. granulated sugar 
• 4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 c. whole pistachios, chopped

Directions
In the bowl of a stand mixer cream the unsalted butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla extract until well combined. Gradually fold in the all-purpose flour until a crumbly dough forms. Gently incorporate the chopped pistachios into the dough. Shape the dough into a flat disk and chill for at least 30 minutes, or overnight. Arrange racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Dust your work surface generously with flour. If the dough feels too stiff to roll easily, gently press the rolling pin firmly into the dough repeatedly tapping over the whole surface of the dough to make it more pliable. Roll the dough to ¼- to ½-inch thick, rolling from the center outward in all directions. Lift and rotate a bit after every few strokes and dust with flour as needed to discourage sticking. Bake cookies until they start to turn lightly golden on the bottom and edges, about 20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. The middle of the cookies should look matte and feel dry to the touch. The baking time will depend on how thick the cookies are. For larger cookies you may need more time, start with an extra 5 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

You Better Believe Butter Is a Great Gift Idea

CRAN-WALNUT ORANGE BUTTER

Adapted from Rachel Ray Magazine

Ingredients

• 4 oz. salted butter, room-temperature 
• ⅓ c. toasted walnuts, chopped
• ¼ c. dried cranberries, chopped
• 1 tsp. orange zest

Directions
In a food processor, blend room-temperature salted butter with the toasted walnuts, dried cranberries, and orange zest.

COWBOY STEAK WITH HERB BUTTER

Steak adapted from The Anthony Kitchen
Butter adapted from Chasety.com 
Serves 4

Ingredients
For the steak:

• 2 Tbsp. kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp. coarse black pepper
• 4 cowboy cut ribeyes or bone-in ribeyes 
• 1 Tbsp. avocado or canola oil

For the butter: 

• 1 c. unsalted butter, softened
• 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp. fresh oregano, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. salt, adjust to taste
• Optional: zest of 1 lemon, minced garlic, or other herbs

Directions
For the steak:
Set the steaks out at room temperature for 45 minutes prior to grilling. Bring a grill to medium-high heat. While you’re waiting on the grill to come to temperature, drizzle the steaks lightly with oil and rub all over. Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides and all around the edges. Pat to adhere. Add the steaks to the hot grill. For medium-rare, cook over direct heat for 4 minutes on each side, turning only once throughout the entire cooking process; goal internal temperature is 130°F. Allow the steaks to rest for 5–10 minutes before serving.

For the butter:
In a medium bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy. Add the chopped rosemary, thyme, oregano, and salt to the butter.

If using, also add lemon zest or minced garlic. Mix all the ingredients until fully combined and evenly distributed throughout the butter. Use the herb butter immediately, or transfer it to an airtight container for refrigeration.

MUSSELS WITH WHITE WINE AND BONE MARROW BUTTER 

Adapted from Food52
Serves 4

Ingredients
For the bone marrow butter:

• 2 lbs. bone marrow (bone included)
• 12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the mussels: 

• 1.5 lbs. mussels, rinsed and de-bearded
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 small bulb fennel, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• Pinch of chili flakes
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 c. white wine
• Kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• Juice of 1 lemon

Directions
For the bone marrow butter:
Soak the bone marrow in a saltwater brine overnight in the refrigerator. Rinse well and pat dry. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the bones on a baking sheet and roast for 15–20 minutes, or until the marrow is soft and bubbling. Let the bones cool slightly and reserve drippings in a separate bowl. Scoop the marrow from the bones into a food processor. Add softened butter, lemon zest, thyme, a pinch of salt, and ground black pepper. Blend until smooth and well combined. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. 

For the mussels:
Scrub and rinse the mussels under cold water, removing any beards and discarding any that are open or damaged. Add some of the reserved drippings from the bone marrow baking tray to a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion, fennel, and garlic, cooking for about 3 minutes until softened. Stir in the chili flakes and lemon zest. Cook for an additional 2 minutes until fragrant. Deglaze the pot with the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Cover and let the wine simmer for 2–3 minutes to reduce slightly. Add the mussels to the pot, cover, and cook for 3–5 minutes, shaking the pot occasionally, until the mussels open. Discard any that remain closed. Lower the heat and stir in 3–4 tablespoons of the prepared bone marrow butter until melted and combined with the cooking liquid. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Spoon the mussels into serving bowls, ensuring each portion gets plenty of the rich, flavorful broth. Finish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a few grinds of black pepper. Serve immediately with toasted sourdough or crusty bread for soaking up the sauce.

Read this article as it appears in the magazine.