Italian Butter Recipes

Steps:

• Using a spice or coffee grinder, grind together red and black peppers, dried herbs, garlic powder, minced garlic, and salt.
• Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of herb mixture onto a small plate. Pour a thin layer of olive oil on top, and serve. Store remaining mixture in an air-tight container.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large mixer bowl, cream lightly the butter and sugar until really fluffy and pale, about three minutes.
• Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
• At low speed add the combined dry ingredients and mix until just blended.
• Do not overmix.
• Place into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip, pipe onto prepared parchment lined cookie sheets, spacing two inches apart.
• If dough is too thick to pipe, pour in a few tablespoons of milk.
• If you make wreath or stars, you can add a cherry as decoration now before baking.
• Or you could just roll into small bals and flatten with a fork if desired.
• Bake for 10 to 14 minutes just until the bottoms and edges begin to turn golden brown.
• Remove from pans by sliding thw whole piece of parchment onto a large wire rack, and cool completely.
• Dip fingers or one side of each into melted chocolate and sprinkles if desired.
• Sandwich with raspberry jam also if desired, dip in melted white chocolate and crushed almonds.
• Leave plain also.
• Store in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Fry the garlic for 1 min, then add the tomatoes, sugar and some seasoning. Tip in the beans and a splash of water. Cover and simmer for 5 mins, then stir in the basil and serve.

Steps:

• Mix the garlic, oregano, basil, thyme and black pepper in a bowl.
• Beat in the softened butter until well combined.
• Put the mixture on a piece of wax paper and roll it into a tube.
• Refrigerate for at least three hours to allow the flavours to blend.
• Allow the butter to come to room temperature before serving, so that it will spread easier.

Steps:

• Place the egg whites and 1/3 cup of the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until the egg whites reach the soft peak stage.
• Meanwhile, pour the remaining sugar and 1/3 cup water in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and bring to the soft-ball stage, without stirring, 240 degrees F.
• The egg whites and syrup should be ready at about the same time. If one is ready before the other then you can remove the pan from the heat or stop whipping for a few minutes.
• Continue to whip the egg whites on medium-high speed and slowly drizzle in the hot syrup, aiming the syrup between the side of the bowl and the beaters. Continue to whip until both the bottom of the bowl and the mixture are cool, 10 to 15 minutes. The mixture should be thick and will form firm peaks at this point. Beat in the salt. At this point you have an Italian meringue.
• While still beating on medium-high, add the butter, a few pieces at a time. As the butter is added, the buttercream may appear to thin out some, but it will thicken into firm peaks once all of the butter is added. Beat in the vanilla extract. If the buttercream is still too loose, beat on high speed until thickened.
• Use right away or refrigerate in an airtight container overnight. The buttercream may need to be beaten slightly to smooth out before using.