Caramelized Onion and Gingerbread Spice Butter

I am so excited about this month's Crazy Ingredient Challenge! Onions and Gingerbread Spice. Um, ok, I didn't even know what Gingerbread Spice was. I mean I've had gingerbread cookies, but I wasn't sure of the exact spices in it, and then when I found out I wasn't sure I wanted to do it. Jutta from Hungry Little Girl, who runs the Crazy Ingredient Challenge and comes up with the ingredients every month gave us links to two recipes for Gingerbread Spice. I decided to go with the American version she shared with us, but I still didn't necessarily like it. Ground cloves, not a fan. Ground ginger, not really a fan. Then a friend of mine joined the challenge this month and gave me the whole "stepping out of my comfort zone" blah, blah, blah lecture ( sorry Becca, I do love you!!) so...

I thought about onion rolls with gingerbread spice butter, I thought about an onion and gingerbread spice bread, but since baking doesn't really come naturally to me I would have to adapt a recipe from somewhere, and what if adding the spices made the recipe "off" and the bread didn't rise? I went and got all the spices weeks ago, but procrastinated and procrastinated, still not sure at all, until suddenly, just two days ago, EUREKA!! It hit me, caramelize onions and make it into a butter flavored with the gingerbread spice!

It would be perfect served with buttermilk biscuits or toast served on Christmas morning, with breads served this holiday season, it would be good melted over sweet potatoes, I thought of so many things it would be good with. Unfortunately, I had procrastinated just long enough that I wouldn't have time to make anything to go with it, so you'll just have to experiment and see what you like it with 🙂

Caramelized Onion and Gingerbread Spice Butter

Heaping ⅓ cup finely diced yellow onions

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup ( one stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon gingerbread spice

dash salt

 

Directions:

In a small saucepan melt the 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and golden. Stir in the honey and turn off the heat. This can be done ahead of time, and then refrigerate the onion mixture in a covered container until ready to continue. Either way, let the mixture cool completely before proceeding.

Put the stick of butter in a dish and microwave it for 10 seconds, flip it over and microwave for another 10 seconds to soften. Cut the butter into 4 pieces and put in a mini food processor, the add the gingerbread spice (make sure it's mixed well first) and the onion mixture. Process until smooth and well mixed, using a spoon to scrap the sides if the butter clumps.

Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap on a counter top and put the butter mixture in the middle. Fold up the plastic wrap, twisting the ends, and shape the butter into a log. Refrigerate until almost ready to serve, then bring out and allow to come to room temperature, about ten minutes before.

I can't wait to find out what the ingredients are for December! If you are a food blogger and this sounds like something that would interest you, click on this badge to find out more.

and check out all the other fabulous recipes the other bloggers made with onions and gingerbread spice!