In most cases, raspberry butter is a blended food spread made by combining butter with either fresh raspberries or raspberry preserves. It is commonly whipped, but can also be pressed into a solid using a food mold, then served alongside a variety of baked goods. Sometimes, the term “raspberry butter” can also be used to describe a butter-like spread that is made from raspberries. This spread does not usually contain true butter at all.
Blending butter with fruits like raspberries is usually a very simple way of adding a gourmet touch to a table or breakfast spread. Butter is usually passed alongside muffins, rolls, and other baked goods as a way of enhancing the flavor and adding moisture. Incorporating raspberries with the butter adds an interesting zing.
Adding fresh raspberries to softened butter is the most straightforward way to create the dish. Combination is usually as easy as mashing the berries with the backside of a spoon. Raspberries are a soft fruit that break apart and blend without much effort.
Once the berries have been incorporated into the butter, the spread can be scooped into an attractive serving dish, then set alongside a baked good of choice. The longer it is left to sit, however, the more infused the raspberry flavor will become. Cooks sometimes prepare raspberry butter several days in advance for this reason.
For a sweeter spread with a faster processing time, cooks can augment or replace the fresh berries with raspberry preserves, jam, or jelly. These products are usually made up of a combination of raspberry fruits and juices. A raspberry butter made this way usually has a much higher sugar content, as well as a more pronounced berry flavor almost immediately.
Beating the fruit and butter together, usually with an electric blender or food processor, is also a way of speeding up infusion. Macerated berries blended into butter usually lose their texture completely. The result is a totally smooth butter that tastes distinctly of raspberries and has a pink tint, but berry pieces are not usually apparent.
Raspberry butter can be served softened and whipped, or can be returned to the refrigerator to harden. Cooks sometimes put softened raspberry butter into decorative food molds before refrigerating, which makes their presentation even more dramatic. The novelty of a berry butter usually comes across no matter how the condiment is served, though.
Sometimes, the term “raspberry butter” can also be used to describe a raspberry spread that is smooth like butter, but is not actually a dairy product at all. This type of “butter” is something like a cross between a jam and a sauce. It is usually made of pure fruit, and is almost always seedless.
Raspberry spreads of this variety are often more savory than jams, and can include a variety of spices and herbs. They generally contain little to no pectin, a binding agent very common in jams and jellies. Cooks often use them on on toast, pancakes, and other more hearty bread products, though they are often added to meat dishes as well, particularly those containing poultry.
