Strawberry Butter

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I have been making this for the holidays for several years. On about the third time, I managed to break the gears on my Kitchenaid mixer. I have also sprayed powdered sugar all over the kitchen when I tried to mix it in.

I learned several lessons so you don’t have to.

1. Take your butter out of the refrigerator at least half an hour before you place it in the mixer so it can soften before you try to mix it.
2. Alternate between the dough hook and the mixing paddle as you mix the recipe. This helps break down the butter and it keeps the powdered sugar from spashing out of the bowl. See, instructions, below:

This recipe makes about 1 quart or 2 lbs.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb butter
• 1 cup strawberry preserves (1/2 of a 18 oz. by weight jar)
• 2 cups powdered sugar (about 9 oz by weight)  (1 lb of powdered sugar is 3.5 cups.)

You can make a double batch in a 5 qt. mixer.  Just use 2 lbs. butter, 1 jar of preserves, and 18 oz. by weight of powdered sugar.

Instructions:

1. Warm butter to soft (near room temperature, not runny)
2. Use the dough hook to break up the butter sticks.
3. Switch to the paddle and add the preserves.
4. Mix until the preserves and butter are combined and there are no spots of pure butter.
5. Switch back to the dough hook.
6. Pour all of the sugar into the mixing bowl.
7. Mix very slowly until most of the sugar is incorporated.
8. Switch back to the mixing paddle and finish mixing the ingredients.