Raspberry Butter

 Our friend and neighbor brought us this jar of raspberry butter for Christmas.  We loved it, so I texted her and asked for the recipe.  Here it is!

Raspberry Butter

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup raspberry jam or preserves*

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Place butter in a bowl.  Beat on high for about 5 minutes.

Add the honey, jam, and vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge.  Refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving.  Each time you use  it, try to let it sit out for about 30 minutes before serving.  

*You can substitute any other flavor of jam: blueberry, strawberry, apricot, peach, blackberry.

Bacon and Blue Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I had some Blue cheese I needed to use, so  I googled "blue cheese recipes" and chose this one.  It was really delicious and had great reviews.  You need to use bone-in chicken breast for this.  It has such a good flavor.
 Bacon and Blue Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
1 cup butter (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
4 slices bacon, cooked and finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped chives or green onion
4 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts
Pepper to taste
In a large bowl, use a spatula to combine the soft butter, cheese, bacon and chives.  Divide in 1/2.  Put half of the butter compound on the end of a piece of plastic wrap and form into a roll.  Roll tightly in the plastic wrap.

Then roll in a piece of foil.  Label and put in your freezer.  (This makes a great topping for grilled steak or on baked potatoes.  You could even mix it into mashed potatoes.)

Preheat the oven to 425.  Put the chicken in a sprayed square pan.  Carefully lift the skin from the chicken and put about 1/4 of the remaining butter compound under the skin of the breasts.  You'll need to use your hands.  Spread the rest of the butter over the top of the chicken breasts.  Sprinkle with pepper.

  Roast the chicken about 35-40 minutes.  Remove from oven and let stand a few minutes before serving.

Hotel Butter

Hotel Butter is a flavored butter that you can use for many different things.  Have you ordered a steak at a restaurant and it comes with it on it?  It really makes it tasty.  I remember learning how to make it in Home Economics class in high school! It's delicious on steak, but you can also use it as a spread on french bread, on baked potatoes, stirred into rice, on any vegetable, or on chicken or fish.  You can just make it and keep it in your freezer to use and add flavor whenever you want.  It is yummy!

Hotel Butter

1 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup minced parsley

Zest from a lemon

Juice from a lemon 

2 cloves garlic, minced or smashed

Salt and pepper or Seasoning salt to taste

Red Pepper flakes, optional and to taste

Place the softened butter in your mixer bowl.  Add the other ingredients and whip until fluffy.  Lay  out a long piece of aluminum foil, then a piece of plastic wrap on top of it.  Scoop the butter onto the plastic wrap in a strip down one side of the plastic wrap.  Roll the butter in the wrap and foil into a tube and twist the ends to seal it.  Put it in the freezer for several hours before serving.  When ready to serve, just unwrap and cut slices.  Rewrap and store in the freezer.    

Recipe Source: The Pioneer Woman