Butter Is The Reason Amish Baked Goods Are So Flavorful

The Amish are famous for their baked goods. From friendship bread and shoofly pie to butter cookies and funny cake, there are plenty of wonderfully flavorful Amish treats to go around. But what makes them so flavorful? Butter, of course! And it's not just the type they put into their baked goods that brings flavor, it's also what they spread on them. 

While plain Amish butter is unique on its own and used liberally when making pie crust, they never use it on its own as a spread. Instead, the Amish will use compound kinds of butter to bring extra flavor to their baked goods, particularly bread. Traditional Amish butter is over 80% butterfat, which brings an extra level of richness to this dairy spread, making it creamy, robust, and perfect for building up flavors. While most of us are more at home using this type to melt over a steak, the Amish use compound butter as a staple in a variety of meals. 

Obviously, the Amish do not hold exclusive rights to compound butter. However, using their own special spread as a base from which to build further flavor is an idea we should all follow. Remember, plain Amish butter already has far more flavor than the generic sticks you will find at the grocery store. So any additional flavors you bring in are only going to be further amplified. 

Amish butter is typically sold in large, rolled logs. Therefore, it can be a little bit difficult to make measurements. However, if you have a kitchen scale you can easily separate it into even pieces. To make an Amish-based compound butter, simply cut away the amount you would like and allow it to come to room temperature so it is pliable.

Once you've softened it, you can add any variety of flavors, either by hand or with a food processor. The Amish like grape and apple butter or if they want more of a spicy, savory kick, they use red pepper or garlic and herbs. There honestly aren't many ways to go wrong with this type of dairy product. Whatever you choose to make is going to be a flavorful addition to any baked good. So, do as the Amish do and ditch the plain butter for flavored ones.