A four-way compound butter flight featuring Garlic Bread, Jalapeño Corn Bread, Strawberries & Cream, and Tahini Maple variations. This recipe yields one complete flight of 8 cubes (2 cubes per flavor). To prepare a full 8-cube mold of a single flavor, multiply that specific flavor's ingredient measurements by four.
Garlic Bread Butter
1 Roast the Garlic: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Peel the loose outer layers from the head of garlic, leaving the bulb intact. Cut 1/4 to 1/2 inch off the top. Place the garlic in a garlic roaster, drizzle the top with 1 tbsp olive oil and cover. Roast for 1 hour, or until the cloves are soft.
2 Combine: Squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves onto a cutting board and give them a rough chop. Add to the softened butter, chives (reserve a small amount for topping), grated parmigiano Reggiano (reserve a small amount for topping), crushed red pepper flakes, lemon zest, dried oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper. Mix until fully combined.
3 Assemble: Spread a thin layer of the butter to your mold, and add thin layer of chopped chives and grated parmigiano Reggiano to the bottom of the mold squares. Fill the molds with the rest of the butter. Scrape the top edges clean and chill in the refrigerator for 12 hours before unmolding.
Jalapeño Corn Bread Butter
5 Corn Puree: Slice a strip of the corn kernels and set aside. Remove the rest of the kernels and add to a blender. Process until as smooth as possible. Strain the liquid into a saucepan and cook over medium heat until slightly thickened. Add the miso, cane sugar, and kosher salt. Cook until thick, then remove from heat and let cool.
6 Roasting:• Gas Stove: Char 2 jalapeños directly over a medium-high on your gas stove or in a hot cast-iron skillet. Turn them frequently with tongs until the skin is blackened and blistered, about 5–10 minutes. Char the reserved corn strip with a torch or on the stove as well.• Broiler: On a baking sheet (without parchment paper,) add your jalapeños and corn strip. Place on the top rack and broil until the jalapeño skin is blackened and blistered and the corn strip has a nice char.Remove the jalapeño skins and seeds, then chop into a paste.
7 Candied Jalapeños: Slice 1 jalapeño and add to a sauce pan with water and 1 tsp sugar. Simmer until thickened to a syrupy constancy and let cool.
17 Combine: Mix the butter, corn puree, roasted jalapeño paste, and 1 tbsp of the jalapeño syrup until fully combined.
8 Assemble: Spread a thin layer of the butter to your mold. Place the candied jalapeños and a charred corn strip at the bottom of the mold squares. Fill the molds with the jalapeño corn butter. Scrape the top edges clean and chill in the refrigerator for 12 hours before unmolding.
Strawberries & Cream Butter
10 Strawberry Butter: Process the fresh strawberries and honey in a food processor until smooth. Add the butter, vanilla bean paste, and kosher salt. Process until fully incorporated.
11 Assemble and Freeze: Spread a thin layer of the butter to your mold. Add the freeze-dried strawberries to the bottom of the mold squares. Fill halfway with the strawberry butter and use a spoon to make a well in the center. Freeze for 10 minutes.
12 Finish Assembly: Fill the frozen wells with small dollops of strawberry preserves and mascarpone. Once done, enclose the filling with the remaining strawberry butter. Scrape the top edges clean and chill in the refrigerator for 12 hours before unmolding.
Tahini Maple Butter
14 Brown the Butter: Place the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for about 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently until golden brown with a nutty aroma. Transfer to a bowl set over an ice bath.
15 Add the tahini and maple syrup to the browned butter. Whip the mixture over the ice bath until light and fluffy. Fold in the flaky salt.
16 Brush the mold squares with a thin layer butter and press the edible cherry blossoms against the sides. Fill the molds with the whipped tahini maple butter. Scrape the top edges clean and chill in the refrigerator for 12 hours before unmolding.
