Vanilla Butter Spread

Two ingredients. One bowl. Ten seconds of stirring. That’s all it takes to turn ordinary butter into something that smells like a bakery and tastes like Sunday morning.

Softened butter gets stirred with vanilla extract until smooth, and suddenly you have a compound butter that elevates everything it touches. Spread it on warm toast, slather it on pancakes, melt it over waffles, or use it for grilled cheese that’ll make people ask what your secret is.

The vanilla perfumes the butter as it melts, filling your kitchen with an aroma that’s almost unfairly good for two ingredients.

Variations

• Cinnamon vanilla butter: Add ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon for a French toast vibe.
• Honey vanilla butter: Mix in a tablespoon of honey for a spreadable, slightly sweet compound butter that’s incredible on cornbread.
• Brown sugar vanilla butter: Blend in a tablespoon of brown sugar for a butterscotch-scented spread that belongs on sweet potato biscuits.