To celebrate Father’s Day last week, Three Many Cooks and significant others treated David to dinner at Caseus—mostly cheese shop by day, bistro by night—in New Haven, CT.
As we were taking in the menu, the waiter shared the specials. Shrimp and grits—a must! Lamb meatballs over bucatini—sold! These dishes made sense at this classy little bistro. But when he announced the daily house-made butter and bread special we all did a mental double take. Did he really say Oreo Cheesecake Butter?
“Repeat that,” I said. We indeed heard him correctly. “Oreo Cheesecake Butter.” Half repulsed, half intrigued, we placed an order. How could we not?
A few minutes later this silly butter arrived on a rustic wooden board with warm crusty homemade bread and rolls. We tasted, we savored….and I gotta admit we loved. You’d think an offering like this would belong on the dessert menu, but the cream cheese reinforces the butter’s savory nature while the cookies subtly enhance the butter’s sweetness and offer textural contrast. It was the perfect pre-dinner bread and spread.
Imitation, they say, is the highest form of flattery. We came home and set out to recreate it. As you can see, it wasn’t difficult. And while we were at it, we came up with a few of our own. Enjoy and feel free to imitate!
- 6 Oreo cookies
- 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) cream cheese, softened
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, softened
- Crumble 4 of the Oreos in the work bowl of a food processor; process to pea gravel size; add cream cheese and butter and continue to process until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Crumble remaining 2 Oreos into mixture; pulse until just incorporated. Turn into a bowl or cutting board and serve with bread.
- A generous 1-inch piece gingerroot, peeled and sliced thin (about 8 coins)
- 6 gingersnaps (about 2-inches in diameter)
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, softened
- Process ginger in a food processor until minced. Crumble 4 gingersnaps into the work bowl; process cookies to pea gravel size. Add butter and continue to process until thoroughly combined. Crumble in remaining 2 gingersnaps; process until just incorporated. Serve with bread.
- 8 vanilla wafers
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, softened
- Crumble 6 of the vanilla wafers into the work bowl of a food processor and add lemon zest and rosemary; process cookies to pea gravel size. Add butter and continue to process until thoroughly combined. Crumble in remaining 2 vanilla wafers; pulse until just incorporated. Serve with bread
Wowie. Now there is something I have never heard of before. Compound butters yes — cheesecake butter?? Hah, that is very cool!
Oh. My. Goodness. You are speaking my language with this post! I heart butter. I will definitely be trying your butter recipes like, this week. Maybe today even!
When the waiter said, “Oreo Cheesecake Butter” I nearly spit out my water. Not only because I thought, “this sounds weird”, but also because this didn’t seem like an Oreo Cheesecake kind of restaurant.
But Mom is totally right: the cookies (which weren’t excessive in the butter) highlighted the sweetness in a delicious way. And who doesn’t love the familiar taste of an Oreo? This was fun and different and I love the new butters Mom came up with.
Can’t wait to try this! You lit a fire under me last weekend, Pam, and continue to inspire. I only wish I had a kitchen like we shared in OK, but if Maggy can make it in her NY cubby, I shouldn’t complain!
I’m going to take your word and try it sometime soon!
I WANT THIS IN MY BELLY NOW 🙂
I grew up enjoying apple butter and pumpkin butter.. these will be added to repetoire without a doubt! thanks for sharing !
Whoa. If that is anywhere near wrong, I don’t ever want to be right again. I would literally abandon the notion of ever being right just to enjoy that butter.
When I grow up I want to be Pam Anderson (or Maggy or Sharon). I admire you three so much! Thank you for sharing.
Oh my… This is dangerous!! And, of course, I can’t wait to give them a try… Holy yum!
These sound like something in the “don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it” category, so I will definitely give them a try! My husband loves lemon, so I’m eyeing the Vanilla Wafer Butter with Lemon and Rosemary.
BTW, have you told Ree about these? She recently told her readers on Pioneer Woman that she had gone through 121 pounds (484 sticks) of butter doing her upcoming Food Network show … what’s one more stick of butter between friends?