This Butter Tart is a more like shortbread than a traditional pie crust, and has a wonderful crisp texture. The butter crust holds up well with a simple fruit filling, or my favorite, Sour Cream Lemon Curd (recipe follows below).

Butter Tart Crust
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1¼ cups flour
⅔ cup powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold Tillamook Unsalted Butter cut into small bits (I cut mine up and put it in the freezer until it’s needed)

Directions
In a small bowl whisk the egg yolk, cream, and vanilla together and set aside.

In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.  Add in butter and pulse about 20 times, until butter is incorporated. Turn on food processor and add the egg mixture through the feed tube and process until liquid is absorbed, and mixture comes together.

Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to two days.

After you have chilled dough, let it soften at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Roll dough out to fit into tart pan, and place into freezer for about 30 minutes. Cover dough with foil, and weigh down with pie weights (I use beans).

Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes, remove foil and weights, and continue baking until the crust is a deep golden brown, about 5-10 minutes longer.

My dad is a lemon lover, and I have tried dozens of different lemon curd and pie filling recipes over the years, and we both agree this is hands down the best one yet! This year for Father’s Day, I made him a Butter Tart with this filing, but I also made an extra batch that I put in a mason jar. My mom said he savored the contents of that jar, and added it to almost everything…marionberry cobbler, vanilla bean ice cream, toast, fresh fruit, etc.

Sour Cream Lemon Curd
7 large egg yolks
2 large whole eggs
1¼ cups sugar
¾ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 5 lemons)
¼ cup grated lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons Tillamook Unsalted Butter
½ cup Tillamook Natural Sour Cream
1 Butter Tart, warm from the oven

Directions
In a medium sauce pan, whisk egg yolks, whole eggs, and sugar together until combine; add in lemon juice, zest, salt, and butter and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until curd thickens (about 8 minutes).

Strain curd through a fine mesh strainer and add sour cream. Add curd to the warm tart crust and bake at 375°F for about 10-15 minutes.

Let cool and enjoy!

By Aimee

There’s a saying that butter makes everything better, and I tend to agree with that. But, after this Tillamook Test Kitchen on flavored butter, I think the saying might need to change to “flavored butter makes everything better”! Although they all didn’t turn out exactly how I hoped, I learned some new delicious combos. There are no exact measurements for these butters, I suggest just adding ingredients to suit your preferred taste. Also, if you don’t have a microwave for softening the butter, a hair dryer works great (yes, I really did bring my hair dryer into the kitchen)!

MUSTARD BUTTER

This one is exactly what it sounds like! Mix equal amount of mustard and butter (I used Tillamook Salted Butter) together. Super simple, but something I had never tried before. Great for sandwiches, crackers, or spread on a savory biscuit.

HONEY BUTTER

Honey, Tillamook Unsalted Butter, and a little bit of confectioners’ sugar goes a long way. This butter was more frosting like than butter like, but was delicious lightly spread on some warm toast. I won’t be rushing to make this one again, but it did taste great.

LEMON THYME BUTTER

I love lemon… you can never go wrong with it. Add lemon, and thyme to Tillamook Salted Butter and you’ll have yourself a wonderful spread to add some flare to steamed vegetables or even meat like chicken or fish!

BLUEBERRY BUTTER

This was my disaster of the test. When Tillamook Unsalted Butter and blueberries are mixed together, they don’t combine very well! Also, blueberries don’t have a very strong taste, like some other fruits, and the berry flavor got a little lost in the butter. Next time, I’m going to try making a little sauce (little bit of water, sugar, and blueberries cooked together) and then mix that in with the butter. I think the texture and flavor will be much better that way.

CUCUMBER BUTTER

I didn’t have high expectations for this one… really. We brainstormed it in the office and I thought it was going to be bland. Boy was I wrong. It was refreshing! The cucumber added a crisp taste to the butter (I used Tillamook Salted Butter) and next time I make a sandwich I will be using cucumber butter. Forget mayo!

CINNAMON APPLE BUTTER

Tillamook Unsalted Butter, chopped up dried apples, cinnamon, and a bit of brown sugar = yum! Don’t be stingy on the dried apples or cinnamon! If you’re into baking, trying rolling this up on some dough (like a cinnamon roll) and you won’t be disappointed! It’s also perfectly fit for any lonely piece of toast.

SCALLION CAYENNE BUTTER

For this one I caramelized some scallions (yes, in butter) and added them to soft Tillamook Salted Butter. Sprinkle in a little cayenne pepper (or something less intense if you prefer) and you’re set. I really think that this could become the new “garlic butter” of French bread. I also think it would be a great addition to any pasta sauce or even a sandwich or burger!

HAZELNUT BUTTER (& HAZELNUT CRANBERRY BUTTER)

If you lightly toast hazelnuts in a frying pan (or the oven!) it brings out a wonderful flavor. Chop them up and mix them in with Tillamook Unsalted Butter and a little bit of honey and it gets even better. This was my favorite flavored butter of them all! Just to make this one even more seasonal, I added some cranberry sauce to it and it was great! A delicious spread for all those leftover turkey sandwiches coming up!

These butters were simple to make and added some wonderful new flavors to my kitchen. This started as a test, but it’s already turned into a habit. What’s your favorite flavored butter to make?

By Laura

Salted Butter vs. Unsalted Butter - what's the difference?

As you probably know, butter generally comes in two varieties: salted butter and unsalted butter. But what’s the difference between the two?

Salted butter is generally used as a condiment because of its strong taste and longer shelf life, whereas unsalted butter is usually used for baking and cooking so that the cook can better control the sodium content and flavor in their dish!

The creamy-salty flavor of Tillamook Salted Butter enhances whatever food item it is spread on. Try it on a piece of toast or on a warm muffin for an extra kick, or even put it on a sandwich instead of a different type of spread to bring out all of the flavors!

Tillamook Unsalted Butter is the product of simply churning milk and separating the cream and butterfat. It is one of the simplest dairy products ingredient-wise (besides plain milk). Because it contains no salt or other preservatives, it tends to have a shorter shelf life than other forms of butter or margarine and needs to be kept in the refrigerator at most times. I swear by unsalted butter in most baking recipes because it tends to make the resulting baked good taste sweeter and even have a better consistency.

Speaking of baked goods, people like baking with our butter so much that they even tweet about it! @LunaRaven13 says:

”This butter is fantastic! I have never seen it in the Bay Area before so I bought enough to keep in my freezer for flavor explosion emergencies. Hands down the best cookies I ever made were with this butter. If you can get your hands on some, do it!”

We recommend you take her advice. There’s no doubt about it – whether you like unsalted butter or salted butter, Tillamook Butter is the way to go!

By Loafy

Fan of the Month Emily with Ella, her new little "Baby Loaf."

I’ve personally had a glimpse inside the fridge and freezer of Emily Boullet, our June Fan of the Month, and one thing was immediately clear: Emily’s house is a Tillamook house! She was stocked up on every type of Tillamook product — cheese, yogurt, sour cream, butter, and ice cream. It was like she had a mini Cheese Factory in her kitchen!  

Thanks for being our Fan of the Month, Emily! We appreciate your Tillamook “Loaf Love.” We’ll be sending a tasty cheese-filled gift box your way — hope you and your family enjoy it!

Q: How long have you been eating Tillamook dairy products? When did your “Loaf Love” for Tillamook begin?
A: I’ve been eating Tillamook products for as long as I can remember. One of my earliest memories was when I was 5 years old and my Great Great Uncle Rex (who lived in Warrenton, OR) and I walked down to the community market cafe. He bought me an ice cream cone with a scoop of Brown Cow (now Udderly Chocolate Ice Cream).

Q: What’s your favorite Tillamook product?
A: Cheese!! Classic cheddar is my favorite! Although I still do have quite a weakness for the Udderly Chocolate Ice Cream (there’s usually 2 containers of it in my freezer at all times)!

Q: What’s a random fact about you (something most people don’t know about)?
A: My husband proposed the night after we toured the Tillamook Cheese Factory in November 2006. I had purchased a yummy bar of soap in the gift shop that day, so I emailed the local maker and ordered that soap as our wedding favors!

Q: Anything else you can share about your love for Tillamook?
A: I only use Tillamook products! Cheese, sour cream, yogurt, ice cream, etc. Not only do I LOVE it, but I am proud to support our local economy! I’ve even sent cheese as gifts to out of state family members!

By Loafy

Mother’s Day is this Sunday! How are you celebrating? I’m taking my mom (the Best Mom in the World, in my completely biased opinion) to High Tea at the Tea Zone in Portland, Oregon. We’ll sip on tea, snack on crumpets, and talk about her new, upcoming role as best Grandma in the World… I can’t wait!

Here’s an idea: throw your own tea party for mom this Sunday! Pair her favorite Tillamook Cheddar with a Tung Ting Oolong or Darjeeling tea and make some fresh Cherry Almond Scones with Tillamook Butter.

If you’re in need of some cheese for your tea party or if you’re looking for that perfect gift for mom, head on over to the Tillamook online store. Enter coupon code “moms2011″ to receive 10% off and order by noon today to receive by Mother’s Day.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing moms around the world!

Photo courtesy of Siukankay

By Tara

Breakfast in bed is romantic. Valentine’s Day is romantic. A combination of the two for your favorite loved one… super romantic! There is something incredible about the combination of almond, orange, and cherry that makes Tillamook Cherry Almond Scones taste so amazing. Add a pat of  Tillamook Butter and some orange marmalade to the side of your plate, and serve with Tillamook Yogurt… breakfast in bed is served! You could even add a rose to the tray for a bit more romance. Happy Valentine’s Day!   

Cherry Almond SconesIngredients:         
2 cups all purpose flour        
2 teaspoons baking powder        
¾ teaspoon salt        
¼ cup sugar        
½ cup Tillamook® Unsalted Butter, chilled and cut into ½ inch pieces      ¼ cup dried cherries, chopped        
¼ cup almonds, coarsely chopped        
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest        
¾ cup whole milk        
¼ teaspoon almond extract        

Directions:         
Preheat oven to 450°         
         
In large bowl sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.  Add butter pieces and work with fingertips or cut with a pastry knife until mixture resembles very coarse meal.  Stir in cherries, almonds and orange peel.  Make a well in the center and pour in milk and almond extract.  With a rubber spatula, quickly blend ingredients into soft, slightly wet dough.               
Turn dough onto a well-floured work surface.  Lightly sprinkle dough with flour.  Pat into a 7-inch circle.  Cut into 8 wedges.         
      
Place wedges 2 inches apart on greased baking sheet.  Bake 12-14 minutes until lightly browned.         
Serve warm from the oven.         
         
Makes 8 scones

Photo courtesy of Jessica.Tam

By Jennifer

I’m definitely in the mood for chocolate this month. The thought of Valentine’s Day makes me want something sweet! This recipe for Tillamook Ultimate Chocolate Cake used to be on the back of the Tillamook Butter box. It was really popular, and when we changed the recipe on the box to a different recipe, many people sent me requests asking for this particular recipe. It’s amazing – rich, creamy, perfect!

Here’s a little tip: You may want to dust the cake with confectioner’s sugar while it’s still warm. It melts a bit and tastes so very good! Share with your Valentine… or eat it all yourself!

Tillamook Ultimate Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
12 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
¾ cup Tillamook® Salted Butter, plus 2 teaspoons to grease pan
¾ cup sugar
5 eggs, yolks and whites separated
⅓ cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Confectioners’ sugar
Prepared Whipped cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan.  Line bottom with parchment paper, butter paper and sides of pan.

Melt chocolate, butter, and sugar in a large double boiler placed over simmering water. Stir until smooth. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Let cool 10 minutes.

Beat yolks until blended. Whisk into chocolate mixture until smooth. Combine flour and cinnamon; whisk into chocolate mixture until blended.

Beat whites until stiff peaks form. Stir one third of whites into chocolate mixture to lighten. Gently fold in remaining whites until completely blended.

Pour batter into pan and bake 25 min.

Cool pan on wire rack. Turn cake out onto a plate. Dust with confectioner’s sugar. Cut and serve with whipped cream.

Serves 10

By Jennifer