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Feb 3

Super Bowl Snacks for the Whole Team

As if we had to remind you, don’t forget - the Super Bowl is this weekend. It’s the time of year when football fans come together to scream at the television, give high-five’s, and show off their new touchdown dances.

Fans can get a little crazy, and although we are huge fans of butter, we won’t be painting our face with a tub of Tuscan butter...this year. Instead, we will be cooking up some snacks like caramel corn, espresso toffee, and Tuscan Grilled Cheese Sandwiches to enjoy during football’s premiere event.

But that’s not all. No matter who you are cheering for, we’ve got a cookie recipe that is a guaranteed winner. Fans from either side can sport their team’s colors with our easy to make Red, White, and Blue Star Burst cookies. Give them a try. Make up your own shapes, and to the winner go the left-overs. (If there are any.)

Check out: Super Bowl Snacks

 

Enjoy the big game! Go Team!

BTW - who do you think will win this weekend? Put your pick in a comment below.

posted on February 3, 2012

Jan 23

Happy National Pie Day!

We’re not saying any of us have ever needed an excuse to eat pie, but today we have a great one. January 23rd is National Pie Day, a day set aside to celebrate pie.

We get excited about baking and eating pie because the possibilities are endless. Most people enjoy the traditional fruit-based pies such as apple, cherry, or key lime, but pies can also be a savory main course like shepherd’s pie, chicken pot pie, or the traditional cornish pasty.

Whatever the type, the key to any pie is its crust. Here are a couple of our proven pie crust recipes that use Challenge European Style Butter to produce a more buttery and flaky result.

How do you plan on celebrating National Pie Day? You have so many different kinds and styles of pie to choose from: fruit, nut, cream, meringues, tarts, cobblers, tartlets, crisps, quiche, meat, pot pies, pasties, and more. For inspiration, check out our top pie recipes.

Tell us, what are some of your favorite pies?

posted on January 23, 2012

Dec 23

Holiday Baking Tip: Using Salted or Unsalted Butter

This one is quick, so you can get back to your holiday preparations...

Before you begin the cherished ritual of baking Christmas cookies, we thought it would be helpful to remind you of the rule of thumb for baking with salted versus unsalted (sweet) butter. You can bake with either, but if you choose to use Challenge Salted Butter in your recipe, we recommend omitting one teaspoon of salt per ½ cup of butter added to the recipe. This guideline will ensure your cookies turn out perfect every time.

Merry baking!

posted on December 23, 2011

Dec 7

Challenge's European Style Butter Tops Taste Test

In a blind taste test among culinary professionals, Challenge Dairy’s European Style Butter took first place, topping 10 other European style butters. Challenge’s winning taste was described as “mild,” “fresh,” “clean,” and “rich” with a “pronounced dairy flavor.” Quality and taste are our highest priorities, so it is always an honor to be recognized as a leader among both imported and domestic butters.

If you are wondering, European style butters have a creamier taste and silkier texture due to a slightly higher fat content. It is made by churning cream slower and longer in the age-old tradition of fine European butters. You can substitute European Style butter for regular butter in recipes to get a bolder, richer flavor. European style butter produces flakier pastries, smoother sauces and more savory dishes and is a preferred ingredient among many professional chefs.

Read the article on SFGate.com

posted on December 7, 2011

Nov 30

Crab Season is Underway

November isn’t just about turkey and stuffing. For many in the Northwest and along the Pacific coast, it’s about crab: crab cakes, crab bisque, crab dip, and more. Beginning with the Dungeness Crab Festival in Port Angeles, Washington in mid-October, crab season officially begins in mid November and continues until June.

Found mainly in Washington and Alaskan waters, Dungeness crabs can be found as far south as Point Conception, California. Though the season doesn’t end until June, we are told that the best crabs are fished before the end of winter, so get your crabs early. Dungeness crabs are known as the riches and sweetest of all the crabs and are sought after the world over.

To get you in the mood to cook or maybe even to catch a few, here are a couple of our favorite crab recipes.

 

Get cracking' and share your favorites with us!

 

Photo attribution: rob_rob2001 / CC BY-SA 3.0

posted on November 30, 2011

Nov 23

Thanksgiving Tip: Season Your Turkey with a Compound Butter

Every cook has his or her opinion about how a turkey should be prepared and whether it should be roasted, fried, smoked, etc. At Challenge, we prefer a traditional roasted turkey prepped with one of our favorite homemade compound butters. A seasoned compound butter will enhance the flavor of your turkey, lock in moisture, and provide the base for richer, more sophisticated pan gravy. We recommend either the Smoked Paprika and Fennel Seed Butter or the aromatic Herb Butter from our website. Or, you could use similar compound butter techniques to create your own.

How to prepare your turkey with compound butter:

Prepare your compound butter and let it stand at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes before prepping your turkey. After you have rinsed and patted your turkey dry with a paper towel, slide your hand under the skin starting at the neck and work your way over the breast, carefully separating the skin from the meat as you go. Rub three to four tablespoons of the seasoned butter under the skin and over the breast. Rub additional butter mixture over the entire outside of the turkey (if the turkey seems too wet for the butter to adhere to, place it in the oven for 15 minutes then baste or rub it all over with the seasoned butter). Be sure to discard any leftover butter that has come in contact with the raw bird.

Cook the turkey according to the recipe and brush or spoon pan drippings over the turkey every 30 minutes. The end result should be a golden brown, moist and delicious turkey.

For more detailed instructions, please check out these delicious recipes:

Roasted Turkey with Smoked Paprika and Fennel Seed Butter
Herb Butter Roasted Turkey

Happy Thanksgiving!

posted on November 23, 2011

Nov 11

Thank you, Veterans.

Challenge Dairy would like to take a moment to recognize the brave men and women who serve or have served our country in the Armed Forces. Words cannot express our appreciation for your service. We acknowledge the sacrifices you have made to protect and defend our freedoms and way of life.

We also want to say a special thank you to our active troops. We are honored to have our products served in all of the US military bases worldwide. It is important to us that you can enjoy the same products as your families back home.

We salute you.

 

Photo courtesy of Serve.gov - Serving Veterans and MIlitary Families

posted on November 11, 2011

Nov 3

The Modern Butter Churn: No Plunging or Cranking Required

What image comes to mind when you think of churning butter? Does it involve a Laura Ingles look-alike hovered over a small cylindrical, wooden barrel churning its contents vigorously with a plunging motion? While the manual varieties are most likely what most people imagine, churns have come a long way since those more rudimentary designs, like the rocker, tin, and stoneware varieties. Today, the modern butter churn is composed of stainless steel, which is resistant, not only to germs, but also to rust, chipping and other wear and tear. In fact, the stainless steel churn was introduced by Challenge Dairy in 1965, and it has been the predominant churn used by butter manufacturers ever since.

To learn more about Challenge Dairy’s history of innovation, visit our interactive timeline.

posted on November 3, 2011