All of the most classic and persistently popular party snacks have been board based. Charcuterie, cheese, fruit, put it on a board and chances are people will love it. There’s something so simple about this communal format that invites you to keep snacking and over the years they’ve evolved into an art form of their own. Creative and beautiful, they often go way beyond a simple collection of meats, cheeses and condiments to include edible flowers, snacks and gourmet preserves and sauces. They also have the advantage of being adaptable to any occasion and theme with a few simple tweaks.
This year, TikTok has levelled up that trend to something even more splendid: butter boards. If you’re also of the opinion that everything is better with butter, then this new viral trend is going to steal your heart. It began when food content creator Justine Doiron posted her idea and the concept gained over 8 million views. She credits chef and author Joshua McFadden for the original idea, but since she brought the dish into the limelight, the internet has been eating it up…literally.
At its core, everything you need to know about butter boards is right there in the name. It’s butter. On a board. What makes it special is how you dress it up. In Doiron’s version, she spreads softened butter onto a cheese board before adding flaky sea salt, lemon zest, honey, herbs and edible flowers. But of course, that’s just one of many versions. Joshua McFadden’s original recipe in the 2017 cookbook, "Six Seasons: A New Way With Vegetables," champions a version with farm-fresh veggies, but why stop there? Add seeds, nuts, fruit, vegetables, roasted garlic…absolutely anything that rocks your boat. Some people are even replacing the butter altogether with cream cheese
There’s very little you can do wrong when picking out your butter board additions but if you’re still feeling a bit lost, try deciding whether you want to go savoury or sweet and then build from there. Below is a rough guide on how to put together one of each type which you can use as your base to start building your own quintessential butter board experience.
For a sweet butter board:
1 stick unsalted butter
½ teaspoon raspberry jam
½ teaspoon blueberry compote
1 lemon, zested
½ teaspoon honey
1 basil leaf, sliced
English muffins or toast for serving
For a savoury butter board:
1 stick unsalted butter
4 cloves roasted garlic
1 teaspoon parsley
½ teaspoon chives
Crushed red pepper to taste
Dash of salt and pepper
Toasted artisan bread