Julia Child famously said, "With enough butter, anything is good!" and I concur!
For a ladies' luncheon for the Duchess of Rutland, I placed heart-shaped butter on individual butter plates. (The candles are lit just to add ambiance to the photograph. The tradition in the USA is not to light them before dusk.)
In a dash? I usually am! I enjoy cooking for my dinner parties, which is my way of showing love. But, when my travel and time does not allow me to, and a caterer is a must, I still try to make the dessert and one more little detail that graces the table. Can you guess what it is? A butter mold!
I use a butter mold so that each person’s individual butter plate has a uniquely shaped piece of butter on it. This is so easy to do and can be done in advance and frozen until your party… one and done!
Butter molds have been used since the 18th century and were made of wood and used by dairy farmers. Their stamped designs indicated their farms and added visual appeal. And today, there are fanciful molds made of silicone! A multitude of designs can be found in specialty kitchen suppliers online, and customized molds can be ordered on Etsy.
In our historic Georgian house in Glastonbury, CT, the Brunscwhig & Fils documentary wallpaper in our dining room featured a few butterflies, hence a butterfly mold. At Fox Hall, the obvious: a fox head! (Which, incidentally, is often mistaken for a cat. Oh well!)
While shopping for Valentine's gifts for grandchildren, I spied a heart-shaped silicone ice cube mold for petite ice cubes, which can ALSO easily be adapted into butter molds. Can you spy the fox head mold next to it!?
I find silicone molds extremely pliable, making them the most manageable vessel to use when removing frozen butter, and they can be placed in the dishwasher too.
Simply allow the butter to come to room temperature, spread it into the molds, and freeze. Add saran wrap on top to keep the butter fresh. Remove from the freezer, bend and snap it out, and place one or two on everyone’s butter plate before your guests arrive. (Or, have your caterer place them while the dinner is prepared.) Butter thaws rather quickly.
GrandMillenial Tips:
If you don’t have time to make the butter molds, just slice pieces of butter lengthwise from the stick and cut them in half again; then, you will have a unique rectangle shape versus a mundane square.
Butter is even more appealing when it has a touch of greenery on or next to it. As long as I have been entertaining, I try to place a little sprig of rosemary, parsley, mint, or even a tiny leaf from a non-poisonous plant (whatever I have on hand!) on or near the butter. A holly leaf, without the poisonous red berry, works well at Christmas… and has my name on it!
Just a touch of green makes the butter sing!
Perhaps, you have heard of a butter curler? It looks like a metal hook with one side that is serrated. My advice: avoid it! I find it challenging to master this instrument and use my easy-peasy silicone molds instead.
These butterballs were presented to me by the waiter at Renato’s Restaurant off Worth Avenue. Another option, one that restaurants use for the perfect butter ball: purchase them pre-made online.
Stuart likes “sweet, unsalted” butter cold, and I prefer “salted” butter, soft at room temperature… guess who wins?!
So, before you entertain, “Keep calm and add butter!”
Xx Holly