When I was a little girl, our whole huge family would get together for Sunday dinner after church and holiday dinners at my Aunt Lena's house. As the youngest cousin, I'm a good 10 years or more junior than practically everybody. This meant my teenaged cousins didn't know I existed. They'd be off listening to music and talking about whatever teenagers give a crap about and I'd sneak off, undetected, to the empty dining room. The men were in the living room with football and the women would be in the kitchen with Butterball.
It wouldn't be until we all sat down to eat that they'd find my tiny fingerprints in the margarine tub.
My love of all things butter flavored has never waned. That's why I knew I struck gold with this recipe.
Sweet. Creamy. Delicious gold.
I just came across this recipe from Empowered Sustenence last night on Pinterest and had to try it but, of course, I had to tinker. If you know me, you know I can't leave anything alone. This time I gambled and won. I added vanilla and lemon extracts and it's almost, but not quite, lemon frosting. Imagine lemon frosting but instead of heavy and cloyingly sweet with sugar, it's rich and unctuous.
Yeah. Unctuous. I said it.
If you are craving something sweet, but not too sweet, this is your new go-to treat. They were super simple to make, didn't take long and...satisfying. Most sweets make you crave more but these are oddly satisfying. I'm guessing it has to do with the fat.
Without further ado,
Paleo Butter Candies
3 tablespoons honey (raw and local if you can swing it)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (the good kind)
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract (again, don't waste calories on cheap junk)
generous pinch sea salt (1/8 teaspoonish)
Cream butter with mixer or immersion blender, add other ingredients and combine well.
Spoon into sandwich bag, or pastry bag fitted with a tip--if you're fancy. Clip corner of sandwich bag, if you're going that route. Squeeze (or pipe, Fancy Nancy) button-sized drops of the mixture onto a sheet of waxed paper or a silpat sheet. Place candies in fridge to set up, about a half hour.
Pop them off the sheet and into a covered storage bowl and keep in fridge...or gobble down immediately.
Up to you.
A commenter on the original blog post mentioned using cocoa powder for chocolate candies. My next batch will definitely be chocolate! Maybe even chocolate with raspberry extract! The variations are endless and my love of butter is deep.
*A word of caution, butter absorbs odors, so be sure to keep these babies covered or they won't be as tasty. Unless you like garlic lemon honey butter salmon candies. I don't judge.
