There is nothing more simple to make that produces such an elegant outcome than a compound butter. It is one of my favorite little tricks for entertaining and always adds a pop to a dish. Placing a small bowl of compound butter on a holiday table brings an extra bit of glamor to a meal and will have your guests talking. A compound butter is basically a butter with added ingredients that produces a flavored butter and can change a meal completely! Practically anything can be combined with softened butter and it takes only minutes.

Recently, I was asked by Kerrygold, the makers of pure Irish butter and cheeses, to create a usage for their new Kerrygold Naturally Softer Pure Irish Butter and Kerrygold Reduced Fat Irish Butter as part of a contest between a few selected food bloggers. Naturally I said yes. I mean how could anyone say no to butter? And Kerrygold isn’t just any plain butter but an all-natural butter that uses milk from grass fed cows.

Their new Naturally Softer Pure Irish Butter is unlike that of many soft spreads out their that contain oils and additives. Kerrygold just contains two ingredients: cream and salt and I have found with it’s smooth consistency it is perfect to use for a compound butter. Their new Reduced Fat Pure Irish Butter is just as good and great to use for a compound butter as well. With 25% less fat than traditional butter and 50% less sodium, Kerrygold’s Reduced Fat Butter is a wonderful choice if you are cutting down on fat and sodium but still want natural ingredients (just cream and salt) and delicious butter flavor. The taste of both Kerrygold Softer Pure Irish Butter and Reduced Fat Irish Butter is unbelievable!

Now lets get onto those compound butters, shall we? Like I said earlier a compound butter can be made with your favorite flavors and spices. Here are two intensely delicious butters to add a kick to practically anything you would use butter with. The first compound butter is a Pumpkin and Spice Compound Butter. Perfect for the holidays or an indulgent treat on breads, pancakes, waffles, or french toast. The second is a reduced fat Roasted Garlic and Herb Compound Butter that will add falvor and depth to sauteed, grilled, or roasted meats, seafood, and vegetables without the extra fat.

*cooks note: today I’m using both Kerrygold Softer Pure Irish Butter and Kerrygold Reduced Fat Irish Butter that come in 8 ounce tubs. One 8 ounce tub equals 2 (4oz) sticks of butter.

Pumpkin and Spice Compound Butter makes 8oz

• 1 tub (8 ounces) of Kerrygold Softer Pure Irish Butter
• 2 1/2 Tbs pumpkin puree, fresh or canned
• 2 Tbs brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg (1/4 tsp if using dried ground nutmeg)

Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To serve, spread on warm toast, bread, bagels, french toast, waffles, the possibilities are pretty much endless and the outcome is incredible.

…now for the Roasted Garlic Herb Compound Butter.
Just give me a loaf of bread and a knife.

Roasted Garlic and Herb Compound Butter makes 8 ounces

• 1 head of garlic
• 2 Tbs fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 Tbs fresh oregano, chopped
• 1 tub Kerrygold Reduced Fat Pure Irish Butter (8 oz)

Serve right away or store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Try this Roasted Garlic and Herb Compound Butter on grilled or sauteed vegetables, meats and seafood, and pasta for a light meal or on toasted bread for an insanely good garlic bread. Enjoy!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the product mentioned above for free for review purposes from Kerrygold. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.