Thanksgiving Delights: Part Two, Cranberry Butter

Recipe: Cranberry Butter
Source: The Orange Strainer
Time: 15 minutes, plus time in refrigerator
Ease: 2
Taste: 10
Leftover Value: 10
Down the Drain or Keep in the Strainer: Keep it in the Strainer!

A local diner near my house serves bread with three types of butter: regular, garlic, and cranberry.  Butter and bread is classic.  Garlic butter is incredible.  Cranberry butter is an unexpected delight.

The first time I experienced this butter wonderland, I wanted to take back my dinner order and send for more bread and butter.

It was that amazing.

This cranberry butter is what made me choose to make Baked French Toast as part of my Thanksgiving breakfast.

As I started to make it, I feared that it wouldn't meet my expectations.  This is probably because I've never made anything with cranberries before.  Because of this, I decided to give a raw one a try.  The taste was so bitter, I instantly started shaking my hands and making whining noises like Will Ferrell did in Elf when he sprays Passion Fruit (perfume) Spray in his mouth.

Cranberries alone are terrible.

Cranberries in butter are mind blowing.

I chose to make it the simple way (simple = less dishes to wash), however, if you want a more whipped butter, you can mix the ingredients in a stand mixer rather than the following way.  Just remember to lightly mix in the fruit.  You want there to still be some chunks of cranberries throughout.

Here's what you'll need:
1/2 cup of cranberries
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 T powdered sugar
2 T honey
Zest of one orange

Start by giving the cranberries a good chop.  I had frozen mine so it made them super easy to chop up.

Put your softened butter into a medium sized bowl.

Sprinkle in the powdered sugar.

Pour the honey on top.

Give it all a good mix at this point.

Then, zest the orange over top of the butter mixture.

Toss in the cranberries, but not any liquids that may have gathered at the bottom of your measuring cup.

Lightly mash the berries into the butter mixture.

Refrigerate for a few hours.  Serve with pancakes, french toast, baked french toast, fresh bread, muffins, or any delicious carb of your choosing.

If you cross your eyes, this picture is totally in focus.  I had to add it to show that each butter knife's worth is woven with bits of cranberry which have been transformed from passion fruit spray bitter to a pleasantly sweet surprise.  

Mixed with maple syrup, it is positively divine.

Because I think you're cute, I've written the recipe out below:

Cranberry Butter

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of cranberries
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 T powdered sugar
2 T honey
Zest of one orange

Steps:

Chop up the cranberries.  

Place softened butter in the bowl.  

Add the powdered sugar and honey.  Mix well with a spoon.  

Zest one orange on top of the butter mixture.  

Add the berries.  Mix lightly.  

Refrigerate for a few hours.

Enjoy!