Trista's Bakewell Butter

When our daughter, Trista was born I was a very careful mom.  I nursed all my kids until at least 6 months, when I started them on the usual foods, like rice cereal and then I made yogurt and added my own fruit.  Earth mother, that's me.

All except for Trista.  One day I was not feeling well, so I made a peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich on sourdough bread for Travis and let him eat on the bed with me, while watching PBS.  Trista was about 5 months old at the time and I didn't notice as she squirmed her way over to Travis's plate and grabbed one of the sandwich triangles.  She SQUEEZED it tightly in her little fist, as babies do.  I tried to get it away from her, but then she started eating off the sandwich goo that oozed up between her fingers. She really liked it. So peanut butter sandwiches became a favorite food for her.  Not then, of course, but as a toddler and all the way through school.

Our daughter is one of those people that just can't sit still.  I guess she is like me in that she is always thinking up new things to do.  Unlike me she goes out and gets it done.  In high school she took all Honors or AP classes and carried a 4.6 (or some ridiculous number) GPA.  And was in the Marching Band, so weekends were totally busy.  And held a job.  And graduated with Honors from UCLA even with studying abroad in England for a year.  In fact, she liked England so much she moved there and got married and won't move back.  Yet.  I may user bribery or threats, but I will continue to work on her.

So in addition to her full time job and two part time/sometime editing jobs, she is starting a food business.  Trista is still a huge fun or various nut butters.  These are fairly common in the US, but not so much in the UK.  In fact our grocery store in Laguna Niguel even had nut butter machines so that you could buy the nuts and grind them right there,  fresh and no preservatives or added anything.

Trista wasn't satisfied with just peanut butter or almond butter, she wanted something special.  There is an iconic treat in the UK called Bakewell Tarts. There is a city of Bakewell where they were born and now there are variations all over.  Basically it is a pastry shell with a bit of jam and some almond paste with a cherry on top!

   

After many test batches she came upon a recipe that her friends all agree taste like a Bakewell tart in a jar.  This Bakewell Butter can be spread on bread or toast.  It can be used as a filling in cakes or cookies.  I spread it on my favorite sourdough when we were recently in California and LOVED it.  And I am not saying it because I am her mother.  Although I would have, if she asked me to.

   

I can't give away the recipe, because I don't know it, but it is slightly sweet,  I think with honey, and has chopped up cherries and cranberries. It was creamy and spreadable and yummy.  And healthy, too.  Nuts, a healthy protein, fruits with their antioxidants.  Google Trista's Bakewell Butter and check it out!  Go get yourself some.

   

Oh, wait.  You can't.  She is just getting started and is only in a few specialty shops in Nottingham, where she lives.  She did make and sell some in food baskets from a local farmer over Christmas and they were very well received.  So now she is thinking about ramping up production, which would mean moving it out of her home and into a larger restaurant kitchen, and then she has quite a few interesting ideas for other flavors and other butters.  I can't wait to taste them.  I will expect a few jars for my Christmas this year!

And all of this relates back to the peanut butter sandwiches I made her throughout her childhood.  I think I got this whole thing started and just may deserve a wee bit of praise.