Butter Me Up

First is Fig Butter.  I snapped up two jars.  My TJ’s had been out of it for the past few months even though a friend in NorCal told me her TJ’s had it in stock.  Fig growing season is shorter here in San Diego than it is in Nor Cal and fig butter is apparently harder to come by here.  How’s that for uber-regional distribution.

And I always have mango butter on hand so picked up another jar of that.

And I picked up another jar of Pumpkin Butter.  Gotta get it before it’s gone for the season.

The only butter I didn’t pick up was the honey apple butter.  I’ve had it in the past but like mango butter, it’s always available at my TJ’s, so there was no pressure to hoard.

Now that I’ve got more fruit butters in my cupboards than should be legal, I better make something with them. I don’t have to make anything “special” with them, of though.  Dipping my spoon into the jar is perfectly acceptable.  I mean, doesn’t everyone eat nut butter, jelly, jam, and fruit butter spreads straight out of the jar?  Ahem. I am going to make a Caramel Maple Pumpkin Pie Smoothie with some pumpkin butter drizzled on top

That, or some Caramel Pumpkin Whip Dip with pumpkin butter either on top or in the mixture

And for the fig butter I’d like to try to incorporate it into something like No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Carrot Cake Bites

And somehow I’d like to work Mango Butter into No Bake Mango & White Chocolate Cookie Dough Bites

I could have a field day with my butters.  I better hurry up and make something before they get used in a more boring way like on bread and crackers, as fruit dips, or the spoon-in-jar technique.  Nothing wrong with that, though. The winner of the $100 Visa Giftcard & Pedometer Giveaway is: Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope October 21, 2011 at 3:30 am Best. Giveaway. Ever.

1. Bundle up and take a walk outside! The leaves are beautiful here right now, and I’m taking full advantage of the not-so-freezing-cold weather while it lasts. 2. Enjoy the seasonal produce! I’ve been loving all the apples (ok, maybe just honeycrisp… it’s an obsession ), perfect sweet potatoes, and pears right now. Congrats, Heather! Questions:
2. Are you a jelly/jam, fruit preserves or fruit spread fan? I am not really sure why they are called  fruit “butter” rather than jelly.  I surmise because they are not “clear” like jellies are. In my book, fruit, pectin, and some sugar is jelly.  And if left chunky, it’s jam or preserves. And yes, I am a fan of all of the above.
3. Have you ever tried fruit butters?  What kind?  For those of you without access to a TJ’s, you can order these types of things online.  Google away. I know Whole Foods has fig butter (I think it’s their 365 line) and I’m sure plenty other varieties, but I try to stay out of that store as much as possible.  Those aisles and rows of unique condiments from nut butters to fruit butters to exotic spices to new-to-me chips and crackers and dried fruit and energy bars and the list goes on so I just keep out.
4. Best thing you ate or did over the weekend? I hope you had a good one. I baked.  A lot.  BakeStravaganza indeed. Hope your week is off to a good start! P.S. I have a favor to ask.  Please vote here for my No Bake PB Biscoff Cookie Dough Bites in the Delta Biscoff Bakeoff.  You can vote once per day for the next week. Thank you!  If I win, I could win a culinary dream trip to NYC, Napa or LA.  It just takes a second to click and vote.  Thank you so much!