Secret to honey butter

Since having moved to Utah I have found that I love honey butter. I bought some at the farmer's market in Park City last summer and fell in love. Local honey is fantastic for you and let's be real about how you can't go wrong with anything that includes butter. I told our pastry chef how excited I was about getting this, only to learn that the kind I bought was made wrong. Made wrong? Yes, made wrong. The incorrect way of making honey butter is to melt the butter and honey together, mix it, and let it firm up. It's just all wrong.

Here is the right way:
I like my honey butter extra sweet, so I portion mine with about 60% honey to 40% butter. Then, and this is crucial, when mixing the honey and butter, do not melt/heat it. It kills all of the great properties in the honey. Mix them together with the butter at room temperature using a flat paddle attachment (which causes a fluffier, yummier end result) instead of using a typical whisk-like attachment. By attachment, I mean if you're using a Kitchenaid or similar appliance. A flat paddle attachment causes more air to be beaten in to the butter and it makes it fluffier, though a standard hand mixer or whisk can be used.

 

Wire whisk (above) vs. flat paddle (below)