Chive Blossom Butter
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Butter blended with chive blossoms and fresh herbs. A savory spread with floral hints. Salted butter softened and combined with chopped blossoms and fresh tarragon instead of chives. Rolled into a log using plastic wrap, chilled, sliced. Flowers used as a garnish to stick to the butter surface. Can freeze after chilling step. Offers a gentle aromatic herb butter twist perfect on bread or veggies.
Prep:
20 min
Cook:
0 min
Total:
20 min
Servings:
4 servings
#herb butter
#flower petals
#savory spread
#French-inspired
#cold butter
#simple recipe
#tarragon
#chive blossoms
Chive blossoms. Sweet, floral, sometimes sharp punch. Butter tamed but lively. Tarragon swapped in for earthy leafiness. No onion herbs here. Simple, rustic, but with depth. A fold of petals into rich cream. Butter softened, scooped, mixed. Roll up tight. Chill. Flower bits pressed on after. Log turns dotted, gentle texture. Slice off rounds, melting on bread. Cool or soft, both work. Cool for two hours, patience key. Can freeze, slow thaw, keep shape. Pour black pepper, optional but smart. No nuts, no gluten, vegan no, butter base dominant. Brightness in each bite. Toss fresh herbs when available. Forget complex, remember flower power. Spread quick, eat quicker. Cold butter with soft petals. The texture contrast, subtle. You see the petals, you taste sunshine.
Ingredients
- 20 g (1/2 cup) chive blossoms
- 110 g (1/2 cup) salted butter, softened
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) fresh tarragon, chopped
- Fresh cracked black pepper
About the ingredients
Chive blossoms delicate, wash carefully not to bruise. Pat dry fully or risk soggy butter. Salted butter provides needed flavor, adjust if using unsalted. Tarragon fresh best; dried doesn’t substitute well here. Its slight anise notes lift the mix. Use roughly half the amount of tarragon compared to original chive quantity to keep balance. Black pepper adds gentle heat, freshly cracked preferred. Ratio: aim for 1/2 cup butter to about 1/4 cup petals loosely packed. Plastic wrap must be dampened slightly so stickiness reduced while rolling. Ready for fridge or freezer after rolling but before decorating. Flower petals added last avoid color bleed and keep look fresh.
Method
- Wash chive blossoms thoroughly. Dry well with a clean cloth. Reserve six blossoms; cut each into 2 or 3 pieces and set aside for decorating.
- Remove petals from the rest of the blossoms.
- In a mixing bowl, combine softened butter, petals, and chopped tarragon. Season with freshly ground pepper. Mix thoroughly but gently.
- Lay a dampened sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface. Place the butter mixture at one end of the plastic, leaving about 1 cm border free on sides.
- Roll tightly into a cylinder roughly 3 cm diameter. Twist ends of wrap to seal. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to firm up. Freezing optional here.
- Remove wrap from chilled butter roll. Let sit 2-3 minutes to soften slightly. Press reserved blossom sections onto the surface, rolling to adhere the petals around the log.
- Warm a sharp knife under hot water and slice the roll into discs of preferred thickness. Serve chilled or allow to soften briefly before spreading on bread.
Cooking tips
Chill important, butter needs to hold shape. Plastic wrap tightness affects firmness and final texture. Rolling technique: tighten but not crush petals inside. Palette knife handy for mixing. Knife for slicing warmed in hot water cuts clean circles without cracking edges. Flowers glued on post-chilling; helps adhesion without crushing petals. Leftover butter can freeze wrapped tightly, thaw in fridge overnight. Serve chilled or soften room temp few minutes for spreading. Do not over mix petals to avoid bruising. Pepper last step, adjust seasoning just before eating. Use clean hands to press blossoms gently so they don’t tear. Skip tarragon for original chive leaves for stronger onion bite. Experiment with herbs for new twists.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Wash chive blossoms gentle way only. Avoid bruising, delicate flower. Pat dry fully or soggy butter later. Petals added after chilling keep color bright, no bleed. Salted butter saves seasoning step; unsalted needs adjustment. Tarragon fresh chopped gives faint anise notes, dried not good here. Roll butter tight but not crushed; petals inside bruised means bitter spots. Plastic wrap damp helps roll without stick. Chill long enough; shape holds better slicin later.
- 💡 Mix softened butter and petals very gentle. Bruised petals dark and flavor off-putting. A palette knife handy, not metal beaters. Black pepper last step helps heat control, add gradually. Keep petals half for mixing; rest reserved for surface decoration. Rolling on moist wrap stops stickiness but wrap loose means log less firm. After fridge wait few minutes before slice; too cold brittle, too warm slick. Warm knife slices smooth discs, no cracking edges.
- 💡 Chilling mandatory. Butter soft at room temp ruins shape during slice. Freeze optional after chilling, freeze tight wrap. Thaw slow fridge overnight to hold firm log. Press blossoms onto surface gently with clean dry hands; wet hands bruise petals and introduce color bleed. For less onion punch, swap chives for tarragon. Petals contrast soft butter; biting flower bits give texture surprise. Slice thickness varies use based on spread or melt time needed.
- 💡 Store leftovers sealed airtight. Freeze best for longer than fridge few days. Thaw slow, keep chilly. Butter picks up fridge odors if unwrapped well. Rolling tight with damp plastic wraps stops drying but avoid excess moisture. Avoid over mixing petals or tarragon; bruise breaks floral ty profile. Black pepper cracked fresh, not ground powdered, for better aroma and heat control. Watch salt levels; salted butter base strong seasoning. Use fresh herbs for clean flavor, dried herbs weak can overpower butter texture.
- 💡 Knife warmed in hot water cuts neat rounds; cooler steel cracks edges. Dab dry before slice. Rolling technique tricky; too tight crush petals, too loose soft shape. Chill minimum two hours, longer for firmer slices or freeze. Press reserved blossom bits post-chill only; pressed before bleed and crush petals. Leave border around butter when rolling to avoid stick wrap. Scatter fresh herbs optional, fresh best always. Experiment can swap petals for other edible flowers; keep firm texture balance.
Common questions
How to prepare chive blossoms?
Wash super careful no bruising. Pat dry fully or wet petals rot or water in butter. Use clean cloth or paper towel. Remove petals gently. Reserve some for decoration.
Can I use unsalted butter?
Yes but add salt separately, salted butter preferred for simplicity. Taste and adjust slowly; too salty bad. Salt balances butter and herbs. Don't skip seasoning completely.
Why press petals on after chilling?
Keeps petals bright color. Adding petals inside bruises and brown. After chill surface dry, petals stick better. Prevents color bleed and sogginess inside log.
How long to store Chive Blossom Butter?
Fridge few days wrapped tight. Freeze longer few months easy sealed. Thaw in fridge slow overnight to keep shape. Don’t leave open, butter absorbs odors fast. Re-roll if crumbly.
