Page 335 - A Literary Holiday Cookbook

temperature for 3 hours or in a refrigerator overnight. If not using

within 24 hours, chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

5 For Pesto Butter: In a blender, combine ½ cup loosely packed

fresh basil, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons toasted

pine nuts, 1 small clove minced garlic, ½ teaspoon lemon juice, ⅛
teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Pulse until it has a texture

like bread crumbs. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and blend until
smooth. In a bowl, stir together butter and contents of blender until

smooth. If not using within 24 hours, cover and chill in the

refrigerator until ready to use.

* If you would rather not gift the butter in a bowl, you can chill it
until firm, shape it into a log (making sure your hands are very

clean), and place it on a sheet of wax paper. Roll the log up in

the paper and twist the open ends to close.
For a decorative touch, tie bows around the twisted ends with

kitchen twine or ribbon and apply a sticker label to the center of

the wax paper featuring the name of the flavor.