Cranberry Blood Orange Compound Butter

Each Month, 5 Star Foodie Culinary Adventures hosts the popular 5 Star Foodie Culinary Adventures' Make-over Challenge series and its great fun! This month, Natasha challenged us to create a compound butter using, if possible, I Can't Believe Its Not Butter spread in lieu of real butter.

The challenge is open to broad interpretation. While the prize has been sponsored by I Can't Believe Its Not Butter, entries containing real butter, or another butter substitute are welcome. Heaven knows the possibilities, in terms of flavor, are limitless. There are savory butters, spicy butter, sweet butters, fruity butters - the list goes on an on.

I've chosen to create a fruity butter for this month's challenge and my creation was born of necessity. I've had a bag of whole cranberries languishing in my freezer since Thanksgiving and its long past time I did something about it. Every time I open the freezer door, they jump out at me and end up on the floor. I also had a blood orange leftover from last week's Rum Punch that was beginning to get antsy.

Errant frozen cranberries, meet lonesome blood orange. I think you'll be happy together, indeed!

Cranberry Blood Orange Compound Butter:

• one 7.5 ounce container of I Can't Believe Its Not Butter Spread
• 1/2 cup of cranberry blood orange relish (recipe to follow)

1. In a small bowl, combine the entire container of I Can't Believe Its Not Butter spread with 1/2 cup of cranberry blood orange relish. Stir well with a fork, or small spatula, to combine thoroughly. Cover and chill in the fridge until firm. Serve as desired with warm scones, biscuits, atop muffins, breads, waffles or pancakes, etc.

For those who would prefer to use real butter: start with one stick of softened unsalted butter and add 1/4 cup of the cranberry relish. Blend well with a fork, and chill until firm.

Leftover compound butter can be stored, tightly covered, in the freezer until needed.

Cranberry Blood Orange Relish:

• one 12 ounce bag of fresh, whole cranberries (rinsed, dried and picked over)
• scant 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1 whole blood orange, peel and pith removed, segmented*
• 2 teaspoons fresh orange zest (I used a navel orange)
• 1/4 teaspoon pure orange extract
• pinch of ground cinnamon

1. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of your food processor and pulse until finely chopped or ground. The mixture will resemble a somewhat chunky applesauce. Place into a covered container, cover and chill in the fridge for at least 1 to 2 hours to allow the flavors to marry.

If using frozen whole cranberries, be sure to defrost them before proceeding.

*If there's anyone out there who does not know how to supreme an orange, let me know and I'll offer further instruction. Be sure to supreme your orange over a bowl to catch resulting juices then add the juice to the cranberry mixture before pulsing.

Yes, you're going to have some leftover relish ... but is that such a bad thing? This stuff is so good, you could simply eat it with a spoon. Trust me, I know. You could also freeze it and save for later use. You could turn it into some kind of granita, if so inclined. You could use it to top ice cream, or even some lovely grilled chicken. Honestly, the possibilities are endless here too. Use your imagination.

As for the compound butter, its excellent! I love the bright flavor of the orange mixed with the tart cranberries. That combo, paired with the the subtle hint of saltiness from the butter spread, rings all of my bells. Its yummy stuff and sure to find plenty of uses, Chez Diva. And, bonus, its trans fat and cholesterol free!

If you'd like to play along, please pay a visit to 5 Star Foodie Culinary Adventures and read up on the rules. Entries into the Compound Butter Make-over Challenge are due by Sunday, April 4th. Natasha will post a round up of all the entries and announce the winner on Monday, April 5th. I hope you'll join us!

Bon appetite!