Now that we are officially back to entertaining – being close to other people and having other people be close to our food – it’s time to embrace some recent food trends like butter boards and give them a holiday twist!
No doubt you’ve seen butter boards of all sorts filling your social media feeds. From plain butter to nut butters, and even butter cream, these tasty delights are perfect for holiday entertaining and let your creativity shine. Here are a few ideas and pairings we have to make your butter board festive and delicious:
- Red & Green Butter Board: For this one, we used regular butter, let it soften and created a wavy effect. Next, fresh parsley and a little diced red pepper add holiday flair while complementing the flavor profile of our flagship OMG! Garlic Pretzels to use as dippers.
- Spicy Almond Butter Board: We love using almond butter for this because it has a unique texture for styling and eating. Drizzle the top with a little honey and then add a pinch of cayenne pepper. Complete the spicy profile by using Sweet & Spicy and Sweet Chili OMG! Pretzels for dipping with this board.
- Confetti Buttercream Board: This sweet treat of a board is fun for the kids any time or for a dessert and cocktails party for New Year’s Eve. Buttercream is super simple to make (we love this recipe) or you can buy a store-bought one and whip it up before adding it to the board. You just want to create a beautiful look from the creamy icing and then add on your colorful sprinkles for some holiday fun. Serve with OMG! Sweet & Salty Pretzels if you use vanilla buttercream. If you add a touch of dulce de leche to your buttercream, opt for OMG! Salty Butterscotch Pretzels instead.
Another winter food trend that is all about gourmet communal snacking is the grazing table. Think of it as a supersized charcuterie board! Here are a few hints for pulling this off:
- Prep your table. Be sure to cover the surface with parchment paper to protect your table and to help with clean-up. This is also the time to add any tower platters, bowls, and holiday décor so that you know how much space you have to fill with food.
- Have a wide variety of foods. Grazing tables require several types of each item you choose – meats, cheeses, fruits – dried and fresh, spreads – hummus, olive tapenade and jams, nuts, crackers, and pretzels (we have 8 insanely indulgent flavors to choose from). This allows for different flavor and textural combinations as people enjoy.
- Make it artful. Choose some vibrant foods to add color to the display. Watch a tutorial for making flowers and other designs out of salami and prosciutto. Choose a few platters with height or bowls with unique shapes to add dimension. Remember to have fun with it; it doesn’t have to be perfect to be artful!
We hope these tips to embrace holiday food trends will help you entertain with elegance and ease.
