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Floral and Flavoured Butter: Rosemary Flower Butter with Grana Padano Cheese

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Floral and Flavoured Butter: Rosemary Flower Butter with Grana Padano Cheese

Floral and Flavoured Butter: Rosemary Flower Butter with Grana Padano Cheese

Floral and Flavoured Butter:

Rosemary Flower Butter with Grana Padano Cheese

Floral and Flavoured Butter: Rosemary Flower Butter with Grana Padano Cheese

Floral and Flavoured Butter: Rosemary Flower Butter with Grana Padano Cheese

Sometimes an idea comes to me in the middle of the night, when I am tossing and turning, reflecting on events that have happened, or worrying about things that may not happen……..the night is still and my thoughts seem to hang in the darkness suspended like cobwebs – visible but fragile and flimsy. A full moon shines through the old casement window and an owl hoots, with melancholy and urgency……..my ideas come and go, drifting lazily in and out of my mind, it’s hard to catch them sometimes before I finally fall back to sleep. On waking in the morning, most of my grand ideas have disappeared with the night, gone and barely remembered, but sometimes, one remains, and so it was with today’s recipe, or serving idea, simple and inspired by an on-line friend’s recipe;  it’s a “middle of the night” idea how to serve butter that uses some of my prolific rosemary blossom…….a flavoured, floral butter with sea salt and Italian cheese, Rosemary Flower Butter with Grana Padano.

Floral and Flavoured Butter: Rosemary Flower Butter with Grana Padano Cheese

Floral and Flavoured Butter: Rosemary Flower Butter with Grana Padano Cheese

Not a recipe as such, but a pretty and tasty way to serve butter with breakfast toast or dinner party bread rolls, or even as part of the filling for a savoury sandwich, my recipe today uses rosemary flowers, as opposed to rosemary leaves (or needles and blades as they are sometimes called). I often make floral butters and my rose petal butter is much-loved by family and friends – it’s the perfect accompaniment with freshly made scones for a Cream Tea. Marigold butter is also another favourite –  I make it to accompany pasta dishes and it’s beautiful when added to omelettes and eggs, plus the colour is rich and sunny…….and although I have used rosemary flowers before, in my floral flavoured salt, I have never added them to butter.

Culinary Flower and Herb Salt

Culinary Flower and Herb Salt

So, when I made one of my friend’s recipes recently, for butter with rosemary flowers, I decided to develop the idea further and add grated Italian cheese and serve the butter in little pots for a dinner party I was hosting. The butter was beautifully savoury and salty, with a subtle rosemary flavour and everyone commented on how pretty they looked in their little pots. I served my Rosemary Flower Butter with Grana Padano Cheese as part of the starter, alongside a big bowl of salad and a basket of assorted artisan bread rolls. Everyone LOVE it, and rather than being the accompaniment for the bread, the butter took centre stage and became the main event of the first course.

Floral and Flavoured Butter: Rosemary Flower Butter with Grana Padano Cheese

Floral and Flavoured Butter: Rosemary Flower Butter with Grana Padano Cheese

I am considering making some more flavoured butters very soon, with other herb flowers, as well as adding truffle oil, sun-dried tomatoes and maybe a spot of blue cheese too. It’s such an easy and pretty way to serve butter at a formal, or indeed informal meal, and these wee pots of butter would also be great for picnics. The only proviso is to use GOOD QUALITY butter –  I used some excellent French butter that had added sea salt flakes, but there are some wonderful British butters out there, and I am going to try this recipe with Rodda’s Cornish Butter next time I make them, with some strands of saffron. That’s it for today, have a great day and see you soon with some more recipes and kitchen chat! Karen 

Floral and Flavoured Butter: Rosemary Flower Butter with Grana Padano Cheese

Floral and Flavoured Butter: Rosemary Flower Butter with Grana Padano Cheese

Rosemary Flower Butter with Grana Padano Cheese

Print recipe
Rosemary Flower Butter with Grana Padano Cheese
Serves Makes 6 small pots of butter to serve 12 people
Prep time 10 minutes
Allergy Milk
Dietary Vegetarian
Meal type Appetizer, Condiment, Snack, Soup, Starter
Misc Gourmet, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold
Occasion Barbecue, Birthday Party, Casual Party, Christmas, Easter, Formal Party, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Valentines day
Region French
By author Karen S Burns-Booth
An unusual and pretty way to serve butter - the rosemary flowers add colour and a subtle rosemary taste, whilst the Grana Padano cheese adds an extra flavour that is fabulous when spread on warm bread and/or sandwiches, toast and bread rolls.

Ingredients

  • 250g salted butter (I used French butter with sea salt)
  • handful of fresh rosemary flowers (about 3 tablespoons of flowers)
  • 125g grated Grana Padano Italian cheese
  • sea salt to taste

Note

An unusual and pretty way to serve butter - the rosemary flowers add colour and a subtle rosemary taste, whilst the Grana Padano cheese adds an extra flavour that is fabulous when spread on warm bread and/or sandwiches, toast and bread rolls. (Recipe idea was inspired by a friend's recipe here: Butter With Rosemary or Other Edible Flowers)

 

Directions

Step 1 Allow the butter to come to room temperature and mix the grated cheese and rosemary flowers in to the softened butter.
Step 2 Adjust the seasoning with extra sea salt if needed.
Step 3 Pack the butter into small jars or finger bowls to serve.
Step 4 Press a few extra rosemary flowers into the top of the butter as a garnish.
Step 5 Serve with hot crusty bread with soup and/or salad, or as flavoured butter for sandwiches, toast and bread.
Floral and Flavoured Butter: Rosemary Flower Butter with Grana Padano Cheese

Floral and Flavoured Butter: Rosemary Flower Butter with Grana Padano Cheese

Rosemary Flower Butter

Rosemary Flower Butter

Floral and Flavoured Butter: Rosemary Flower Butter with Grana Padano Cheese

Floral and Flavoured Butter: Rosemary Flower Butter with Grana Padano Cheese

I am entering this recipe into Cooking with Herbs, which this month features Rosemary as a suggested herb

Cooking with Herbs

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Comments

  1. Deena kakaya says

    I love this idea Karen! I often make herby and spiced butter but never made a floral version…yours looks stunning and I bet it smells fabulous, no doubt the floral essences infuse perfectly with the butter. Does it fry well? Xx

    Reply

    • Karen says

      I haven’t fried with it yet Deena, but I have added it to steamed green beans and salad potatoes and it was just fabulous! Thanks so much for your lovely comments, Karen

      Reply

  2. Vanesther says

    This is such a brilliant idea – so simple, yet so pretty and effective. Definitely one to try as soon as my rosemary flowers, which won’t be far off!

    Reply

  4. Caroline Gilbert says

    Looks really pretty Karen, (especially in the small glass pots ) and can’t wait to try it. I love rosemary (will have to grab some flowers from my neighbour’s bush). Bet it would work really well over small new potatoes, roasted in the oven.

    Reply

  5. Mere aka Jelly says

    I love flavored butters!!! I make them and freeze them to use at will!!! Yummy! So beautiful!!! Saving this one!!! 😀

    Reply

  6. Choclette says

    You’ve described these Midnight Musings / Meanderings perfectly and poetically Karen – I can certainly relate to this. Love your addition of rosemary flowers to the butter and the cheese – fabulous idea. Would be a great sub for garlic bread and would go beautifully over steamed veg or in mashed potato.

    Reply

    • Karen says

      Thanks Choclette! That’s just what I did last night when we had friends around for dinner, I added some of this butter to some steamed baby spuds, and they were delicious!

      Reply

  8. Francesca says

    What a tasty butter: rosemary is one of my favourite herbs . Your well expressed thoughts on wakefulness at night remind me of a cartoon I have saved and keep on my fridge. ” The night’s whale of doom becomes a sardine on toast in the morning.” You have to imagine the drawings to go with it.

    Reply

  10. Emma says

    Fresh Rosemary for me is about as close to earthy rapture as I can get – there is something just so divine about it! I’ve never thought to use the flowers though – great idea & one gone directly on the ‘to cook’ or in this case try Pinspiration list!

    Reply

  13. Scrumptious Scran says

    Totally agree with what other people have said – the combination of herbs, herb flowers and cheese sounds spot on in this recipe. It’s really got me thinking about what else could be used in this type of butter. I think there is lots of potential.

    Oh, and smashing pictures once again – how do you manage to get them like that this time of year?

    Reply

    • Karen says

      Thanks SS, LOVE your name by the way, scran is such a great word for food! I am lucky to have great side light in the kitchen, and I also use boards and umbrellas to bounce light too! I served this butter last night with baby new potatoes and it was delectable……next on the list is to add some to fresh green beans. Karen

      Reply

  16. Dominic says

    what a simple and clever idea… it wasn’t too perfumed was it? I made an earl grey butter once and it wasn’t very nice until I spread it on toast with honey and then it was amazing!

    Reply

  18. Antonia says

    Gorgeous! What a great idea to make the most of the pretty rosemary flowers. I love to make flavoured butters too and often keep them in ‘sausages’ in the freezer to slice off and serve with grilled meats. My favourite is coriander, lime and chilli butter slathered over hot corn-on-the-cob. I love the idea of serving this pretty butter in individual pots for a dinner party though.

    Reply

    • Karen says

      Thanks! Wow! I love the sound of your coriander, lime and chilli butter Antonia! I also make garlic and herb butter in a sausage shape for the freezer too and then as you say, just slice it to add to steaks, grilled meats and vegetables etc.

      Reply

  26. Louisa Foti says

    Gorgeous idea Karen, I quite often chuck in the flowers too whenever I’m using rosemary at this time of the year but had never considered using them on their own. Sounds like a lovely flavour packed butter, simply gorgeous photos too!

    Reply

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