I've got those no good, low down butter blues

[Proud Texan]

We are NOT happy with our butter presentation. We've tried chilling the butter and cutting it into 1/4" slices, they always come out so messy! We tried letting it soften and placing it a nice looking dish then rechilling it. Nothing looks good.
Does anyone own butter paddles for turning the butter into little balls? If so, how well does it work and how much work is it.
Otherwise any suggestions for a nice butter presentation?

 

[Morticia]

If I were you, given your location, I would do what I do given my location...get candy molds at a craft store. For you I would get some that evoke your area, or TX in general. I put out lobster-shaped butter and it's a big hit.
You melt a stick of butter, pour it into the mold and freeze. You can keep the frozen pats of butter in the freezer on a plate until needed.
When melting the butter, it should look like yogurt, not like drawn butter for crab legs!

 

[Willowpondgj]

If I were you, given your location, I would do what I do given my location...get candy molds at a craft store. For you I would get some that evoke your area, or TX in general. I put out lobster-shaped butter and it's a big hit.
You melt a stick of butter, pour it into the mold and freeze. You can keep the frozen pats of butter in the freezer on a plate until needed.
When melting the butter, it should look like yogurt, not like drawn butter for crab legs!.

Thanks to the forum, I bought rose shaped candy molds for butter, it works like a charm, keep it in the freezer under plastic wrap and pop them out when I need them...

 

[gillumhouse]

I use these. http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=395&f=13893

Today I made honey butter. You can do herb butters or plain. They make a nice presentation.

 

[The Farmers Daughter]

We are NOT happy with our butter presentation. We've tried chilling the butter and cutting it into 1/4" slices, they always come out so messy! We tried letting it soften and placing it a nice looking dish then rechilling it. Nothing looks good.
Does anyone own butter paddles for turning the butter into little balls? If so, how well does it work and how much work is it.
Otherwise any suggestions for a nice butter presentation?

Yes, mine is fast and easy. Get the smalled white ramekins you can find, fill with softened butter, scrape clean across the top and cover with a small piece of plastic wrap. I store them in the fridge until ready to use.
Remove the saran wrap and you're good to go.

 

[Proud Texan]

Good suggestions all! I like the idea of the candy molds. We would probably use "acorns" for our area.

 

[Morticia]

I use these. http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=395&f=13893

Today I made honey butter. You can do herb butters or plain. They make a nice presentation..

I use those for jam!

 

[Morticia]

We are NOT happy with our butter presentation. We've tried chilling the butter and cutting it into 1/4" slices, they always come out so messy! We tried letting it soften and placing it a nice looking dish then rechilling it. Nothing looks good.
Does anyone own butter paddles for turning the butter into little balls? If so, how well does it work and how much work is it.
Otherwise any suggestions for a nice butter presentation?

Yes, mine is fast and easy. Get the smalled white ramekins you can find, fill with softened butter, scrape clean across the top and cover with a small piece of plastic wrap. I store them in the fridge until ready to use.
Remove the saran wrap and you're good to go..

Do you dump those after every guest? That's where we ran into problems with jam. When we got here, the fridge had 5-6 'tubs' of jam, all half-used. Given the number of guests I've seen 'double dipping' we got rid of those first thing.

 

[Morticia]

Good suggestions all! I like the idea of the candy molds. We would probably use "acorns" for our area..

Look around for 'wildlife' molds for things indigenous to your area. You've got the pond and the acreage to have some interesting critters.

 

[gillumhouse]

I use these. http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=395&f=13893

Today I made honey butter. You can do herb butters or plain. They make a nice presentation..

I use those for jam!
.

I broke a couple domes and use those bottoms for jam & apple butter.
Edited to add that I do not FILL them with butter or with the jam/apple butter. I go about 1/2 full.

 

[Proud Texan]

Good suggestions all! I like the idea of the candy molds. We would probably use "acorns" for our area..

Look around for 'wildlife' molds for things indigenous to your area. You've got the pond and the acreage to have some interesting critters.
.

Look around for 'wildlife' molds for things indigenous to your area. You've got the pond and the acreage to have some interesting critters.

mmmm, let's see skunks, copperheads, beavers, wild hogs......

 

[Morticia]

Good suggestions all! I like the idea of the candy molds. We would probably use "acorns" for our area..

Look around for 'wildlife' molds for things indigenous to your area. You've got the pond and the acreage to have some interesting critters.
.

Look around for 'wildlife' molds for things indigenous to your area. You've got the pond and the acreage to have some interesting critters.

mmmm, let's see skunks, copperheads, beavers, wild hogs......
.

Look around for 'wildlife' molds for things indigenous to your area. You've got the pond and the acreage to have some interesting critters.

mmmm, let's see skunks, copperheads, beavers, wild hogs......

EXACTLY! Make it fun. You have no idea the hoots I get setting a plate of 'lobsters' down in the morning!

 

[JBloggs]

I was asked by other guests what shape my butter was while visiting an inn-mate once. I said "excuse me?" Her butters were in the shape of a swan. I am sure she uses a candy mold for them. I thought they were totally nifty!
I rarely serve butter. I love the way it looks atop pancakes or waffles in a photo - but every scrapes them off here. It was just too wasteful.

 

[wendydk]

We use the individually packaged pats from the foodservice store...served in a glass bowl on the table, guests can use or not use.

 

[Morticia]

I was asked by other guests what shape my butter was while visiting an inn-mate once. I said "excuse me?" Her butters were in the shape of a swan. I am sure she uses a candy mold for them. I thought they were totally nifty!
I rarely serve butter. I love the way it looks atop pancakes or waffles in a photo - but every scrapes them off here. It was just too wasteful..

We serve butter with just about everything. Pancakes, waffles, toast, FT. Not ON the food, but on the side. I never put anything on someone's food that they could add themselves.

 

[YellowSocks]

We also use candy molds. I keep them in the mold, or if expecting a crowd in a small tupperware in the freezer while more are being molded. It gets a LOT of oohs and ahs, and looks great.
I put them on little dishes (which I'm constantly in search of at yard sales) at each place setting. Coupled with the individual s&p's it's really beautiful.
=)
Kk.

 

[Samster]

We use the individually packaged pats from the foodservice store...served in a glass bowl on the table, guests can use or not use..

I'm looking to go the route of individually wrapped butter because you can freeze them, too. There's too much waste when I put out butter for the guests no matter how other way I do it. So much gets tossed because once it's on the table, it's considered used.

 

[mooseberry]

I have gotten my candy molds in the shape of Moose heads and moose dollar coins. When the butter is soft I spread it in the form and freeze them. Looks really nice and the guests like the little touches.

 

[greyswan]

i found swan candy molds equivalent to about 1 T. I fill the mold using a spatula when the butter has softened and freeze it. The butter pops out nicely - I keep wrapped them in wax paper in a plastic bag in the freezer.

 

[JBloggs]

Well today I put the butter out (to see if anyone would go for it) for fresh peach & pecan pancakes and it was not touched, again. See what I mean? They just don't use it here. It was in a floragold candy dish and beside it was a proper butter knife. Nope, didn't use it at all.