Description
Cranberry butter brings festive cheer with its rich, tangy flavor profile. Silky smooth and perfect for holiday spreads, this simple recipe elevates your breakfast or dessert with Wisconsin cranberries and creamy goodness.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (226 grams)
- 5 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar (37.5 grams)
Fruit Ingredients:
- ½ cup dried cranberries (75 grams)
Liquid Ingredients:
- 1 cup orange juice (240 milliliters)
Instructions
- Hydrate dried cranberries by placing them in a small saucepan with orange juice, gently heating until the liquid starts to shimmer, then remove from heat and allow the fruits to plump and absorb liquid for approximately 30 minutes.
- Transfer softened cranberries into a fine-mesh strainer, pressing gently to eliminate excess moisture, then meticulously mince the rehydrated fruits into uniform, tiny pieces.
- Select a spacious mixing vessel and combine the finely diced cranberries with room-temperature unsalted butter (8 tablespoons or 113 grams) and powdered sugar, ensuring all ingredients are at consistent ambient temperature.
- Utilize either a robust wooden utensil or an electric mixing apparatus to thoroughly amalgamate the ingredients, creating a smooth, homogeneous spread with no visible ingredient separation.
- Transfer the crimson-flecked butter mixture into decorative ceramic ramekins or craft an elegant cylindrical log by carefully enveloping it in heavyweight culinary plastic wrap, twisting the ends securely.
- Refrigerate the prepared cranberry butter for a minimum of 2 hours (120 minutes) to allow complete solidification and flavor melding, then extract from cold storage approximately 15 minutes prior to serving to soften slightly and enhance spreadability.
Notes
- Resting the butter at room temperature helps mix ingredients easily and creates a smooth, spreadable texture.
- Orange juice acts like a magical liquid that plumps cranberries and adds natural sweetness without extra sugar.
- Blending cranberries creates a silky consistency perfect for spreading on toast, bagels, or holiday breads.
- Tasting while mixing allows you to adjust sweetness levels to match your personal flavor preferences.
- Wrapping butter rolls in plastic wrap prevents moisture loss and protects from absorbing other refrigerator odors.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 246
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 62 mg