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Telegraph
2 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Telegraph
How to make your own flavoured butter (and save money)
It may be one of the priciest items in my fridge but proper butter is one ingredient I'd never be without. What joy would there be in a fluffy jacket potato were it not for the knob of melting gold? And as evidenced by the influx of highly enticing flavoured butters appearing both on the supermarket shelves and on my TikTok feed, I know I'm far from the only butter lover out there. So popular is the current 'buttertok' trend that social media star chef Thomas Straker, creator of salt and vinegar crisp butter among many others, now has his own eye-catchingly packaged range – including Cinnamon Bun (£2.85 for 115g; £2.48 per 100g, at Sainsbury's) – on the shelves at major supermarkets. Waitrose has reported a huge surge in sales of flavoured butters; especially its excellent-value frozen Garlic & Herb Butter (£3.50 for 200g; £1.75 per 100g), sales of which are up an incredible 569 per cent compared to this time last year. Meanwhile, M&S has introduced a top-tier flavoured butter line including smoked paprika and chilli (£2.75 for 100g) and a truly delicious Parmigiano Reggiano & Truffle butter – though at £3.75 for 100g, it's one to keep for special occasions. But with the price of butter already at a premium, is it worth shelling out even more for flavoured versions? I certainly see the appeal: their ability to instantly add a touch of magic to the most basic of foods, from an ear of corn to a simple seared steak or thick slice of toast, makes them worth keeping close to hand, especially when you're short on time and desire an easy flavour boost for dinner. But why splash the cash when they're so easy and, in most cases, much cheaper to make at home? Supermarket own-label British butter is currently priced around 80-90p per 100g and the additional ingredients can cost from just a few pence upwards depending on what flavours you go for. With savings to be made and a medley of flavours to experiment with, homemade flavoured butter is win-win. If you've got your own favourite blends, do share them with me in the comments below the article. If not, here's a quick guide and six delicious ideas to get you started. Skip to: The butter Straightforward supermarket own-label butter is perfect for flavouring. Choose unsalted as this provides the best flavourless base with which to work; salt can later be added to taste depending on the ingredients you add. Take it out of the fridge at least two hours before you use it so it's soft enough to blend in the flavours easily. If the butter is still a little firm, give it a quick beat with a wooden spoon or whisk until it's spreadable. Avoid types that spread straight from the fridge as you want the butter to set firmly once you've added your flavours. Back to index The flavours There are no limits here and you can go sweet or savoury, but plump for ingredients that pack a punch rather than mild-tasting additions which need to be used in large amounts to carry through. This is particularly important when adding liquids – you don't want to over-soften the final texture too much, so use a small amount of strong espresso or dark maple syrup, for example, rather than a delicate, golden style. Taste and adjust the finished butter to balance the flavours in the same way you would if making a dressing (or a cocktail for that matter), adding more sweetness, salt or some acidity, as needed. Back to index How to blend It's simply a case of mixing together room-temperature butter with your favourite flavourings. While a bowl and wooden spoon will suffice, an electric whisk or food processor (as I've used in the recipes below) will take the effort out of blending the ingredients together. Though if you do choose to beat the mixture by hand, any unevenly blended butter with visible marbling is still very attractive when sliced into discs or scooped into. Back to index How to store To maximise freshness and minimise odour transference (butter easily absorbs pungent smells), it's important to keep your flavoured butter chilled and airtight. Either pack it into a sealed container or wrap in greaseproof paper, rolling it to form a tight cylinder. Twist the ends then, ideally, place in a food bag for extra protection. Slice off discs from the log when ready to use, or spread or scoop directly from your container.
Irish Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
‘God's feet' bring a pungent odour to Tom Dunne's Newstalk studio
As a broadcaster, Tom Dunne comes across as the personification of natural good humour. In his various incarnations on Newstalk he projects an air of amused affability, whether presenting his nocturnal music programme, The Tom Dunne Show (Monday-Thursday), or discussing pop matters on The Hard Shoulder (weekdays). Tuesday, however, seems to mark a change in his demeanour. As he stands in on Seán Moncrieff's afternoon show, Dunne becomes uncharacteristically sniffy. Why is soon clear. 'We'll be talking very strong cheeses,' he says, prefacing his conversation with the cheesemonger Kevin Sheridan, who's there to discuss the apparent loss of appetite among young French people for the country's famously ripe dairy products. Dunne frames this trend as an 'existential cheesy crisis', though it also provides him with an opportunity to sample his guest's pungent wares: 'You've come armed, I see,' the host notes. Sheridan uses the unappealing term 'God's feet' to describe the aromas emanating from his more robust cheeses, and the host agrees: 'There's definitely the feet thing there.' READ MORE But if Dunne's olfactory senses are twitching, it's not in disapproval. 'Absolutely beautiful,' he declares. And while Sheridan puts the totemic French foodstuff's fall in popularity down to changing eating habits across the world – 'If you keep putting processed or bland food in front of people, that's what they're going to be used to' – he claims that, in contrast, Irish tastes are growing more adventurous, albeit from a low base. (By way of proving the latter statement, host and guest recall their childhood cheeses of choice, Calvita and EasiSingles.) Far from turning his nose up at odorous cheese, Dunne is as enthusiastic as ever: it's the only whey he knows. (Sorry.) He maintains this appealing mien throughout his guest stint on the programme, helming proceedings at a leisurely, good-natured pace that makes Moncrieff sound like a Stasi interrogator in comparison. During Wednesday's item on the introduction of height filters by the dating app Tinder, which seemingly may limit choice for shorter men or taller women, the host chuckles away as he talks to the matchmaker Sharon Kenny. 'I'll give you a list of short men while you're here,' he says. ' Bono , Tom Cruise , Mick Jagger , myself.' Even when discussing the dependably downbeat subject of children's online safety with Alex Cooney of CyberSafeKids , he eschews the apocalyptic tenor that so often accompanies such discussions in favour of a more pragmatically concerned tone. Dunne's easygoing approach shouldn't be confused with flippancy: anyone who heard him candidly reflect on his heart surgery some years ago can attest to his thoughtful side. But it's nonetheless telling that the presenter, who first made his name as the singer with the rock band Something Happens, sounds most engaged when talking about music. Speaking to Stan Erraught, who teaches at the University of Leeds, about his book on the intersection between Irish music and republicanism, Dunne sounds at his happiest, and not just because he knows his guest as a former member of the 1980s Dublin indie group The Stars of Heaven: 'If I wasn't meeting you on a stage, I was playing five-a-side football against you.' [ Rebel Notes: A timely take on republicanism and music, from The Wolfe Tones to Kneecap, via Alan Partridge Opens in new window ] The ensuing interview is casual in mood, but detailed in knowledge and insightful in observation, as Erraught assesses Kneecap , The Wolfe Tones and The Cranberries . Dunne, meanwhile, quizzes his fellow musician with rare alacrity: whatever about his nose, his ear remains attuned to music. The connection between words and music is explored on Routes (RTÉ Radio 1, Monday), as the novelist Kevin Barry looks back on the songs that have soundtracked his life and work. The Limerick -born author is the latest contributor to this occasional but quietly absorbing series (transmitted on bank-holiday Mondays), in which its presenter, Saibh Downes, invites guests to discuss the music that shaped them. Previous participants have included music-industry figures such as the writer and promoter Leagues O'Toole, but Barry – who, in Downes's description, 'lives on his own planet of sound' – is the highest-profile personality to appear on the programme, with an entertaining manner to match. He cautions that people who appear on such shows make their younger selves seem cooler than they were, before mischievously adding, 'But I was always into very cool stuff.' Sure enough, Barry's overview of his musical youth ticks the boxes of musical cred, from seeing The Smiths at the age of 14 and getting into acid house in late-1980s London to being a habitue of the cult Cork nightclub Sir Henry's in the early 1990s. It's not just an I-was-there checklist of hip references, however. As befits his literary pedigree, Barry also evokes a grimy nostalgia as recalls his life at the time. 'I used to love the parties after the clubs,' he says. 'Moves would be made in all sorts of romantic ways.' He also reveals the way music has permeated his novels, be it the rhythms of dub reggae shaping the prose of City of Bohane or the multiple allusions to lyrics by the Pixies, the alternative rock band, lurking in Night Boat to Tangier. If anyone can spot all the latter references, he adds conspiratorially, 'They're getting a special prize.' For others, however, Barry's invigorating flip through his musical back pages will be reward enough. There are more memories of the Irish music world on Sunday with Miriam (RTÉ Radio 1), when Miriam O'Callaghan talks to Eamon Carr and Jim Lockhart about the early days of the Celtic rock group Horslips. (I should mention that my uncle Barry Devlin was the band's bassist.) It's a brief item, featuring O'Callaghan at her most effervescently flattering – 'You both look so healthy' – while yielding some witty snapshots of the group in their 1970s heyday. O'Callaghan's guests recall their ad-hoc origins ('We formed the band on a corridor,' says Carr) and share memories of the late guitarist Johnny Fean, as well as musing on the postcolonial ramifications of performing rock versions of Irish airs while wearing 'Lurex and platform heels': 'Our natty gear was a bit of us saying there's nothing to apologise for here,' says Lockhart. Clearly they weren't afraid of putting people's noses out of joint. Moment of the week Having spent a lifetime interviewing politicians, Pat Kenny (Newstalk, weekdays) knows meaningless spin when he hears it, as Minister of State for Environment Alan Dillon discovers when announcing a €27 million initiative for 'transition to the circular economy'. Asked by the host to explain what this actually entails, the Minister says that 'the idea is very simple' before reciting a complicated, jargon-heavy list of vague-sounding projects, culminating in talk of a public-private partnership focused on 'innovation system change' and 'industrial collaboration around ecodesign'. It's at this point that Kenny interrupts his hapless guest. 'I don't understand a word of that, Minister. I don't understand a word,' the host says sharply, but mercifully. He's only saying what the rest of us are thinking.
The Sun
5 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
McVitie's unveils new Jaffa Cake flavour ‘with a twist'… and fans are divided over sweet treat
MCVITIES has rolled out a new flavour of Jaffa Cakes and shoppers are divided. Over the years, the brand has launched plenty of alternatives to the classic orange, but this one has been accused of taking the biscuit. 2 Jaffa Cakes have jumped on the Hot Honey trend and have unveiled the first-ever 'swicy' flavour. In case you are yet to become acquainted with the latest culinary slang, the term swicy is used to describe foods that are sweet and spicy. The new flavour combines the sweetness of honey with a chilli kick, which is sandwiched between the signature crackly dark chocolate and the famous sponge cake. The controversial hot cakes are exclusively on sale at Asda stores nationwide for £1.50 for a box of 10. They will be rolled out to other retailers from the end of July. Over on Facebook, the Hot Honey snacks have caused a stir, and some fans have bees in their bonnets. "I love Hot Honey and I love Jaffa Cakes but I think this will be a miss," one wrote. "Not a chance mate," added another. One person raised a good question: "They will do everything but not a white chocolate Jaffa Cake." But not everyone was against the latest addition. "I am definitely intrigued," a Facebook user wrote. "Oh might have to try these," agreed a second, while another echoed: "That sounds like an acquired taste." On Dansway Gifts and Bargain UK's Facebook post, followers tagged friends to share the news. Some added heart-eye emojis to the comment section. Jessica Woolfrey, Marketing Manager for Jaffa Cakes, says: 'At Jaffa Cakes, we're known for doing things a little differently. "As the only cake in the biscuit aisle, it makes sense that our newest flavour brings an unexpected twist. "We're super excited to introduce Hot Honey Flavour to the Jaffa Cakes family - tapping into the viral 'swicy' trend with a perfectly balanced sweet-meets-heat flavour.' Last year, the brand unveiled another unusual flavour based on retro childhood sweets. The Cola Bottle flavour was the first ever non-fruit flavour since the first Jaffa Cake was made in 1927. It had a similar response from snackers, who either loved or hated them. McVities has also rolled out raspberry and cherry flavours - which have both gone down well with customers.
Daily Mail
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Forget Lurpak – Gen Z has gone wild for a new kind of bougie butter
Boomer: Why is the blender out at 9am? Gen Z: I need exactly three hours to prepare my homemade butter. The Lurpak is in the fridge. This isn't just any butter… It's M&S butter? It's wunderkind chef Thomas Straker's bone marrow and burnt chilli butter recipe, which has racked up 19 million TikTok views. Sounds like what you'd get if Satan opened a deli. TikTok's crazy for it. 'I audibly moaned watching this,' one user wrote. Another called bone marrow butter their 'Roman Empire'. I'm not convinced the Roman Empire was founded on spreading spruced-up beef fat on toast. If you're not feeling the bone thing, give TikToker Mary Amzekria's saffron and cinnamon honey butter a go. Her recipe has 157,000 likes. What about my cholesterol? My doctor will go mad. I'll leave the honey-infused fats to your unsullied arteries. Judge away, but searches for flavoured butter on are up 444 per cent this year. Like that fancy salted one they serve at Côte brasserie? See, I'm au fait with foodie trends. Not quite. Waitrose's three most popular butter recipes are nduja, stilton and cowboy. Does that last one come with a Stetson hat and leather chaps? It's a mix of butter, garlic, mustard, lemon, chives, parsley, paprika, chilli and horseradish. Not churning up my appetite. It has buttered up writers at the Financial Times, who have described haute butters as 'disgustingly moreish' and the 'elite category of condiment'. Heresy! In my opinion, the only 'elite' condiment is Flora melting into a Warburtons crumpet. Eww! Flora is margarine. It's full of ultra-processed ingredients – worse still it's not even salted! What about all those adverts in the 1970s and 80s about it being low calorie and better for your heart? Total con! Appaz, margarine has nearly as high a plastic content as the tub it comes in. So it's a choice between piling on the pounds or ingesting so much plastic I'm essentially half Tupperware? Don't you listen to Dr Tim Spector's Zoe podcast? The fats in butter are apparently good for your gut microbiome, so they could actually help you to lose weight. And what's Dr Tim's standpoint on you infusing your butter with the contents of Tesco's sweet treat aisle? He wouldn't be best pleased. But if you insist on plain butter, at least make it Les Prés Salés. With a name that posh I'm betting a tub costs about the same as my first car. It comes as a fancily wrapped block, obviously. And it's only £5 for 250g, which is great value for what one TikTok taster described as 'the best butter in the world' and 'so good, it makes me emotional'. For a fiver, I'd want it to spread itself and sing me a tune while doing it. Five pounds is nothing. Manchester brand Pollen's £10 Croissant Butter with white chocolate is so popular, it even has a hundred-strong waiting list. A butter selling out faster than Oasis tickets. Whatever next? The real spenny stuff is served at restaurants. Diners pay £199 for the tasting menu at London's Michelin-starred Frog, the main event being chicken-skin butter and bread. I'd suggest you dunk a slice of Hovis in the remnants of the roasting tin. That's free. Then there's Plates, the first vegan Michelin joint, famous for its bright green whipped spirulina butter. That looks like someone's mixed butter with their neighbour's lawn trimmings. It really pops on your Instagram story. I should've known it would have something to do with 'collating your Instagram aesthetic'. Anyway, let me try this bone marrow concoction you've made. What do you think: butterly delicious? I Can't Believe It's Not Better.
Fox News
24-05-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Chicken burgers dethrone beef as America's favorite, DoorDash data reveals
Burger season is back. And with National Hamburger Day celebrated on May 28, DoorDash has revealed the most popular burger in every state in America, based on the most-ordered burger on the food delivery platform in 2024. So what kind of patty is the heavyweight champion of home delivery? That distinction, perhaps surprising to some, belongs to chicken burgers. "We've seen a shift in what Americans define as their go-to burger, and chicken is clearly leading the charge," Cristen Milliner, consumer trends expert at DoorDash, told Fox News Digital. "The viral fast-food chicken sandwich wars that ignited a few years ago sparked a nationwide appetite for chicken, and the momentum hasn't slowed," Milliner added. "From spicy to grilled, restaurants are continually innovating their chicken burger offerings, especially as the high-protein craze takes over social media and influences what's trending." There's data to support that, as 74% of Generation Z and 69% of millennials said they've ordered a restaurant item after seeing it go viral, per DoorDash's 2025 Delivery Trends Report. "When you combine that with chicken's perceived health benefits, it's no surprise DoorDash data shows chicken burgers topping the charts in 17 states," Milliner said. Among the 17 states whose residents prefer chicken burgers are California, Florida, Tennessee and Texas. Milliner believes there is a practical side to the poultry craze as consumers increasingly seek out satisfying and affordable alternatives amid rising beef prices. Other industry insiders agree about Americans' poultry-loving palates. "Chicken burgers have become more than a trend – they're a staple in the modern diet." "With a 48% year-over-year increase in consumption and 3.1 times growth since 2020, chicken burgers have become more than a trend – they're a staple in the modern diet," according to Alon Chen, CEO at Tastewise, a consumer intelligence platform for the food and beverage industry. He cited data from his company's platform. Chen, based in New York City, said the leading motivations behind chicken burger consumption include indulgence (17%), wellness (14%) and taste (13%) — highlighting its wide appeal among health and flavor seekers alike. Meanwhile, veggie burgers flipped up the competition in 13 states, based on DoorDash data, including Colorado, New York and Wisconsin. Chen sees this as part of a larger movement toward vegetarian and vegan eating among Americans. He said Americans are embracing plant-based foods like never before, referencing a 13.3% year-over-year growth in consumer interest, based on Tastewise insights, and standout ingredients such as lentils and quinoa surging over 8% and 6%, respectively. "This goes far beyond being just a menu shift," he told Fox News Digital. "It's a cultural pivot toward sustainable, nutrient-rich eating." The traditional hamburger was a favorite in 10 states, among them Alaska and Hawaii, while the cheeseburger was a favorite in just four states: Arizona, Iowa, Maryland and Michigan. Turkey burgers were the favorite in six states: Arkansas, Delaware, Mississippi, North Carolina, Virginia and Wyoming. Overall, Chen perceives the chicken and veggie burger craze as one bite out of larger societal shifts. For more Lifestyle articles, visit "As the lines between indulgence, wellness and sustainability continue to blur, chicken and veggie burgers are no longer at opposite ends of the spectrum – they're both icons of modern eating," he said. "Today's consumers aren't just choosing between meat or plants; they're selecting based on mood, moment and motivation." That fluidity, he said, "is reshaping menus, grocery aisles and product development across the country."
