Recipes

May 10

New Collection: Breakfast in Bread

Start your day off right by baking some delicious breakfast breads. They're super simple to make and can be eaten anywhere - especially a carefully-timed bedside delivery. Top them with the sweet flavored butters, and you'll melt.

Apple Thyme Cheddar Scones
These sweet and savory scones are soft, moist, and packed with flavor. Finely diced chunks of tart apple contrast to the richness of the cheese, and the touch of thyme gives it an elegant herb flavored finish.

Oat Muffins with Honey Butter
Nothing beats a good old fashion muffin. They’re quick and an easy, and you can enjoy them on the go or as a sensible addition to a morning meal. Spread on the honey butter, and in minutes you’ll be wondering where they all went.

Orange Mango Nut Bread with Ginger Honey Butter
Absolutely delicious! Experience a medley of naturally sweet flavors beginning with the clean, refreshing appeal of citrus followed by tropical bursts of mango. The chopped pecans add texture and a delicate crunch, yet it’s the layer of ginger honey butter that makes this bread habit forming.

Streusel Topped Apple Bread
An excellent way to enjoy your favorite kind of apple. Topped with a sweet walnut streusel, this bread is moist and naturally sweet. Experiment with the size of your chopped apple chunks to discover exactly how you like yours.

posted on May 10, 2012

Apr 8

New Collection: Quiche Recipes

Whether you make them in advance or fresh on Easter morning, these classic egg dishes taste amazing, take very little effort, and are an excellent source of protein and vegetables.

Asparagus Quiche
This savory quiche offers a delicate balance of asparagus, cheese, and egg baked in a buttery, flaky crust that’s sure to satiate the most discriminating tastes. A touch of curry and cayenne pepper give it an extraordinary flavor and subtle bite.

Turkey and Broccoli Crustless Quiche
Not only will you love the taste of this nourishing quiche, you'll love how quickly and easily it comes together. It's versatile too. Try substituting turkey with ham or chicken to add a little variety to this quick and easy recipe.

Tuscan Zucchini Quiche
Enjoy classic quiche taste with an Italian twist. You’ll find the Tuscan style flavored butter adds a savory balance to the buttery pastry crust and complements the sautéed vegetables. Serve hot or warm.

Ham and Broccoli Strata
Although not a quiche, you will enjoy this colorful egg-based dish any time of day, hot or warm. It can be easily assembled and chilled overnight for fuss-free last minute preparation. (Plus it's a brilliant way to get rid of leftover ham.)

posted on April 8, 2012

Apr 6

What to Do with All Those Hard Boiled Eggs

We plan of decorating oodles of eggs this year. It’s a fun tradition, but it means we’ll end up with some leftover hard boiled eggs.

So what do people normally do with all their hard boiled eggs? Well, if you are tired of egg salad sandwiches and have already over-indulged with deviled eggs, we have a few ideas for how you can avoid letting those hard boiled eggs go to waste.

Here are a few recipes that use hard boiled eggs as a key ingredient:

Egg Masala and Rice - This mildly hot meal is the combination of hard boiled eggs and an aromatic blend of Indian spices in a tomato based curry.

Hard Boiled Egg Chocolate Chip Cookies - That's right. Here's a sweet way to use up those left over hard boiled eggs in a delicious cookie dough containing no raw eggs.

Tuscan Style Egg Spread - Made with hard boiled eggs, this sophisticated spread makes a delicious appetizer to serve on crackers or bread rounds.

posted on April 6, 2012

Feb 29

Taking the Leap with Tuscan Style Spreadable Butter

Leap Day gives us an extra opportunity to switch things up and try something new, like our Tuscan Style Spreadable Butter. If you have not tried it yet, it's a delicious flavored butter that instantly adds an Italian flair to your meals without adding more steps or ingredients. It’s made with our freshest creamery butter and an artful blend of aromatic olive oil, slow-roasted garlic, fresh basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme.

Challenge Tuscan Style Spreadable Butter is versatile and easy to use. It's perfect on toasted breads and can make the simplest meals taste gourmet. Plus with the convenience of a spread, it’s all the flavors and traditions of Italy in an instant.

• Put it on your table for your family to butter their dinner rolls and bread.
• Make delicious garlic bread in minutes with Tuscan Style butter.
• Stir a couple of spoonfuls in with fresh-cooked pasta.
• Sauté your favorite meat or add to your vegetables.

For more recipe ideas, check out:

posted on February 29, 2012

Feb 24

New Collection: Decadent Desserts

These desserts are the epitome of indulgence and are among our top choices for special occasions. They are elegant without being complicated and look as good as they taste. The only difficulty with these recipes is deciding which one to make first.

Black Forest Bundt Cake
If you are a fan of chocolate-covered cherries, you’ll love this cake. It’s perfectly moist and divinely complex. Experience the mellow tones of chocolate, the explosion of sweet cherries, and a trailing hint of almond.

Carmel Walnut Tart
Caramel, chocolate, and walnuts come together to make this tart super sweet. It's loaded with flavor, and the walnuts add a little crunch to its smooth, rich texture. Slice it up into 12-16 servings and serve it like a pie.

Lava Cakes
A chocolate lovers dream. Enjoy a rich indulgence of chocolate in these individual cakes with pudding centers. Get creative and top yours however you want. We love ours with raspberry sauce and fresh berries.

Lemon Pudding Cakes
Moist, delicate, and refreshing, this magnificent dessert separates into a mouth-watering lemon sauce on the bottom and a soufflé-like cake on top. It’s the perfect blend of soft and smooth.

posted on February 24, 2012

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

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

Oct 11

Flavored Butters Add Unexpected Panache to Meals and Dishes

As purveyors of fine butter, we could easily argue (and probably have) that butter, in its pure form, is insurmountable in flavor, texture and versatility.  However, we also recognize that slight deviations from the original recipe can often yield magical results.  With that in mind, we invite you to try some of the flavored butters found in our recipe section. 

As it turns out, the right pairing of butter with herbs, seasonings and fruit essence can single-handedly transform a good dish into a memorable dish.  Pour simple sauces like Almandine Butter and Chardonnay Cream over basic baked fish or chicken and use spreads like Strawberry Butter on waffles, pancakes, bagels and biscuits to add a zing of fresh fruit flavor.  If you like your condiments on the spicy side, don’t overlook Wasabi Butter.  Though recommended with grilled salmon, you could also add it to stir fries. 

Surprisingly, compound butters can be quite versatile if you think outside the box.  Try some of our flavored butter recipes or share some that you’ve created.  For inspiration, try Challenge Dairy’s Tuscan Style Butter.  Its soft texture makes it a great candidate for many different types of recipes. We particularly enjoy it when we cook recipes like Tuscan Herb Butter Sauce for Grilled Chicken, use it for garlic bread, or even spread it on fresh grilled corn.

We’d love to hear from you. Tell us about your latest experiment with compound or flavored butter.

posted on October 11, 2011

Sep 20

After Apple Picking…Make Apple Desserts

In 1914, American poet, Robert Frost, penned one of his best loved poems entitled, “After Apple Picking.”  Though critics have long argued over the meaning of the poem, most remember the poem for its melodious verses and romantic imagery describing the harvest of the iconic American fruit.  We partially attribute our fascination with the delicious apple to Frost’s captivating portrayal. 

Although we enjoy and appreciate reading poetry, another way to capture the sweet essence of the apple is by eating one.  As a tribute to the numerous varieties of apples filling the produce aisles and farmers markets during fall, we would like to share a collection of our favorite apple-based dessert recipes for you to enjoy with your friends and family.

Apple Cranberry Torte

Perfect for fall, this elegant torte combines the sweet tones of freshly harvested apples with a tart, mouthwatering burst of dried cranberries.
> view this recipe

Fresh Ginger Apple Cake

Fresh ginger root brings spice and aroma to this dense cake featuring crisp Golden Delicious apples.
> view this recipe

Apple Buckle

Apple Buckle is a streusel-topped cake packed with tart apples. It can be enjoyed any time as dessert or at brunch with a fresh roasted cup of coffee.
> view this recipe

Apple Tart

This impressive dessert features slices of mildly-tart Gala apples arranged over a golden, buttery pastry that’s sprinkled with sugar and glazed with a glistening layer of apple jelly.
> view this recipe

So get picking, cooking or both.  And for extra apple-baking inspiration, we highly recommend revisiting Frost’s “After Apple Picking.” 

posted on September 20, 2011

Sep 16

5 Quick, Healthy Dinners for Busy School Nights

For those of you who are parents of school-aged children, we hope you are settling into the routine of a new school year. As you begin to remaster the logistical demands of your family’s new after school schedule, we thought we would help you plan a few quick and easy weeknight meals. These speedy, well-balanced suggestions will please the pickiest of eaters and bring everyone together for a little nourishment before they begin their homework routine or head off to bed. Best of all, you’ll get in and out of the kitchen and may even carve out a little time to catch this fall’s primetime lineup.

  • Tuscan Chicken and Pasta with Tomato-Basil Garnish - Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of this dish. The fresh flavor of the ripe tomatoes, fresh basil and balsamic vinegar will wow your taste buds. This dish is worthy of a special occasion or a week night dinner with the family.
  • Halibut in a Buttery Vegetable Sauce - Simple and delicious. Serve with a green salad and warm bread.
  • Parmesan Crusted Chicken Tenders - Baked chicken tenders with parmesan cheese and a touch of Italian seasoning are a healthful and interesting alternative to the fast food version.
  • Zucchini Linguini - Better than standard mac ‘n cheese, this pasta dish incorporates nutritious zucchini, which is loaded with Vitamin C, A and potassium.
  • Tuscan Grilled Cheese Sandwiches - Mozzarella cheese, fire roasted red bell peppers enhanced by herb blend of Tuscan Style butter combine in an unforgettable sandwich.

posted on September 16, 2011

May 17

Featured Recipe: Asparagus Quiche

A springtime favorite, this hearty quiche offers a tasteful balance of vegetables, cheese, and eggs atop a flaky pastry crust.

Key Ingredients

  • Challenge Butter (Unsalted)
  • Fresh Asparagus Spears
  • Curry Powder
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Onions
  • Eggs
  • Monterey Jack Cheese

When to Serve

May offers any number of reasons to celebrate: mothers, graduations, weddings, and spring’s continued rebirth and renewal. What better way to kick off these occasions and seasonal joys than with this brunch-inspiring dish? Served with a simple fruit salad or signature cocktail, you'll have all you need to make any event memorable.

View the full recipe

posted on May 17, 2011

Apr 19

Featured Recipe: Ginger Glazed Carrots

The fresh ginger root adds subtle spice, while the combination of sweet honey and creamy butter add depth and richness to this dish.

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup (½ stick) Challenge Butter
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon honey
  • 1 Tablespoon grated or finely minced fresh ginger root
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1½ pounds (4 cups) whole baby carrots
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Instructions

Melt butter in large fry pan over medium heat. Add sugar and honey and heat until bubbly. Stir in minced ginger root and ground ginger. Add carrots and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for about 10 minutes or until carrots are cooked. Remove the lid from the pan and continue to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring to coat the carrots as the sauce is reduced. Stir in salt.

View Ginger Glazed Carrots Recipe

posted on April 19, 2011

Mar 9

Featured Recipe: Irish Butter Cookies

These delicious treats pay subtle homage to the Irish tradition. Their secret? A drop of whiskey in the icing.

Key Ingredients

  • Challenge European Style Butter (salted)
  • Sugar
  • Egg
  • Flour
  • Whiskey
  • Green Food Color
  • Green Sprinkles
  • View all ingredients

Instructions

Cookies: Preheat oven to 375°F. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add flour mixture into butter mixture. Mix until well blended. Divide dough in half. Roll out half of dough at a time on a lightly floured surface to ⅛-inch thickness (approx. 12-inch circle). Cut into shamrock shapes with floured cookie cutter. Place ½- inches apart on parchment lined or unbuttered cookie sheets. Bake 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire racks; cool completely. Spread tops of cookies with buttercream icing and sprinkle with green cake decorating crystals. Store in airtight container.

Buttercream Icing: Cream butter. Add powdered sugar and blend well. Stir in whiskey and beat well. Blend in food color. Add additional sugar or whiskey if necessary for spreading consistency. Makes ½-cup icing.

View the Full Irish Butter Cookies Recipe

posted on March 9, 2011

Feb 14

Featured Recipe: Espresso Toffee

Try this toffee with a twist – chocolatey toffee crunch with a hint of espresso

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) Challenge Butter
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup double strength Espresso coffee
  • 4 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup chopped almonds

Instructions

Prepare 9" x 13" pan by lining with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Melt butter over medium heat in heavy 2 to 3 quart saucepan. Stir in sugar, corn syrup and espresso. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture come to a boil. Clip on candy thermometer and continue to stir occasionally until temperature reaches 300°F (hard crack stage).

Pour mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, wait 2 minutes; spread chocolate evenly over candy. (If uniform piece size desire, score candy into 1-inch square pieces with table knife.) Sprinkle nuts over chocolate, shaking dish from side to side to coat. Gently press nuts into chocolate. Let candy stand at room temperature to cool completely. Break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

View Espresso Toffee Recipe

posted on February 14, 2011

Nov 3

Five Instantly Italian Meals

Challenge Tuscan Style Spreadable Butter is fantastic on toasted breads and can make the simplest meals taste gourmet. Plus with the convenience of a spread, it’s all the flavors and traditions of Italy in an instant. Here are a few recipes to start your Tuscan adventure:

posted on November 3, 2010

Mar 16

Preparing for Easter: Buns, Breakfast, or Brunch

Greet your Easter sunrise with some moist morning morsels guaranteed to draw people out of bed.

Cranberry and Apricot Hot Cross Buns

Update these traditional Easter buns with sweet dried cranberries, apricots, and raisins instead of the typical candied fruit peels.

Greek Spinach and Feta Baked Eggs

This crust-less “spanakopita” spin-off creates colorful swirls of green spinach and sliced Kalamata olives in a cheesy fluff of baked eggs.
For those who prefer to sleep in:

posted on March 16, 2010

Dec 24

Recipes to Wrap Up 2009

2009 is rapidly coming to an end and 2010 is approaching! We hope that everyone has had a great year, and is looking forward to the new year ahead.

Things over here at Challenge have been busy, but really exciting for all of us. Working with bloggers to churn out all of these amazing recipes has been a great experience. Not to mention it’s making us feel constantly hungry!

We greatly appreciate the efforts that everyone has put into this, so here is the latest consolidation of recipes that you can dive into with your cooking skills.

This will be our last post of 2009, but don’t worry because we’ll be back with the remaining recipes in 2010!

Happy Holidays to everyone!

posted on December 24, 2009

Dec 16

It's Time For More Recipes

Here are some more dishes for you to try out!

As you all know, a number of bloggers continue to be busy creating some super tasty recipes for us. So in an effort to consolidate all of these, here are some more dishes for you to try out!

Happy Eating!

posted on December 16, 2009

Nov 10

Challenge Dairy Holiday Recipes (Part 1)

We have been busy over here working with a number of bloggers who are creating recipes using Challenge butter. And you can only imagine how much our mouths are watering!

Take a look at these 9 holiday recipes:

We'll be posting more recipes with hopes that it provides you with some inspiration for your holiday meals!

posted on November 10, 2009