If you're wondering what day it is, if its a bridge too far to take out the rubbish with no pants on & what constitutes appropriate breakfast food then you're not alone friend - tis the season & the weeks between Christmas, New Years & going back to work are a strange place indeed.
What's not strange though? Taking advantage of the opportunity to rest, waking up slowly & making something really delicious for brunch that will carry you through until that mid afternoon ham sanger with a side of leftover potato salad. Our pick for brunch? Gently boozy pancakes, fried to golden perfection in delicious whisky infused butter & topped with berry compote, creamy yoghurt and defiant attitude of "who cares what day it is" & "whisky buttered pancakes for president" energy. Now it's whisky business indeed taking two very beloved ingredients (whisky & butter) and combining them, but can we just say that infusing grated butter in a good sploosh of nice whisky & letting it infuse for 24-48 hours gives it a delicious smoky edge that might just tip your brunch game into the big leagues when you use said butter as a grown-up topping or to even cook your pancakes...
Ingredients
- Block of good quality unsalted butter
- Whisky - you'll need at least a cup (more if you want to decant post infusion and drink with friends)
- Jar or glass container for infusion
- Grater
- Fave pancake or pikelet recipe + toppings
Method
- Chill your butter or pop in the freezer for an hour so it's super firm
- Grate the butter into a glass jar or container & pour over whisky of choice - leave to infuse for at least 24 hours (ideally 48) in the fridge before draining (reserve leftover whisky for drinking or baking)
- Gently melt whisky butter in a frypan for cooking pancakes (don't have the heat too high) or use as a topping over the top of your hot stack of golden pancakes & enjoy the subtle boozy flavours of your brunch
Some other ideas we love
- Use the infused butter for crepes & serve as a dessert with the reserved whisky over ice
- Add some extra spices to the infusion and leave for up to a week - cloves or cinnamon add a festive flavour (sorry Whisky purists)
- Use the infused butter in baking - ginger cookies, a fruit cake or caramel slice all enjoy the extra kick from the whisky
- Not a whisky drinker? Try other flavoured liquors like amaretto, kahlúa or a lush port
- Non alcoholic? Honey, maple syrup or black coffee can all be a delightful swimming pool for your butter & can really add sweetness or a caffine kick. Our tip would be to use butter infused in these as a topping post cooking though so they don't burn.