Butter Board Wreath

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Christmas, North American

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 40

Servings: servings

Calories: 122kcal

Author: Lord Byron's Kitchen

Just like charcuterie boards have become super popular, butter boards are about to become the next trending appetizer. Serve grilled bread or crackers with a Butter Board Wreath to your guests this holiday season. With a Christmas-inspired flavour profile, everyone is going to love this fun and festive treat!

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Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup cranberry compote, jams or marmalades can be substituted
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/4 cup pomegranates
1 tablespoon fresh lemon thyme leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon flaked sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 whole baguette, sliced 1/3 inch thick

Instructions

The first thing you want to do is to source a board. The number of people you are serving and the number of items you have to place on the board, will help to determine the size you will need. You can use a cutting board, a charcuterie board, a marble slab, or an old silver-plated tray. Since butter is greasy and can stain, I did not want to use any of my wooden boards, so I opted for a clear glass platter. I arranged clean cedar branches underneath the platter so that they were not touching any of the ingredients.
You will need really soft - but not melted! - butter. The easiest way to accomplish this is to add the butter to a bowl and mash it with a fork. You can also place the butter in a mixing bowl and beat it until smooth and creamy with your mixer.
Once the butter is very smooth and soft, it’s time to apply it to the platter or board. I like to use a spreader to do this. Scoop up portions of the butter and smear it onto your platter in an airy fashion. Turn the platter as you go, because to create the wreath, we are creating a circle of butter in the center of the plate, keeping the outer 2-inch perimeter free of any toppings.
Apply the compote with a teaspoon to the wells. Gently swirl it a bit to create dimension and texture.
Next, sprinkle over the walnuts.
Sprinkle over the pomegranates.
Now it’s time to sprinkle over the fresh herbs.
Drizzle with the honey. If you have honeycomb, cut it into bite-size pieces and place the randomly on the prepared butter surface.
Top with flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to finish. Set aside.
Lay the sliced baguette onto a 450 degrees F preheated grill. You can use an outdoor grill, a grill pan, or even an indoor electric grill.
Grill both sides of the bread until golden brown with nice grill marks. Remove the bread from the grill and once cool enough to touch, arrange the bread around the platter keeping within the 2-inch perimeter that you left clear of butter and toppings earlier.
Now, you can go ahead and garnish with some extra sprigs of fresh rosemary tucked around the platter under the sliced bread. Serve and enjoy!

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