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The Butter Book
Not yet published
Expected 17 Mar 26A delightful celebration of butter in all its golden glory—history, how-tos, and irresistible recipes for anyone who believes everything is better with butter.
Butter is a perfect ingredient. In both cooking and baking, it can be foundational or a finishing touch. It’s a flavor powerhouse, a sauce emulsifier, a taste enhancer, and above all else, a bringer of joy. In this charming kitchen companion, you’ll
Butter’s curious history
Tips for buying butter, fun ways to serve it, and its ability to transform the most humble foods—a pot of rice, a day-old muffin—into something revelatory
How to make butter at home, then whip, clarify, or compound it to elevate your everyday cooking
Ten recipes that showcase butter’s multitudes, from Butter-Basted Scallops with Beurre Blanc to Butterscotch Pudding, each one teaching easy yet essential techniques, including browning and emulsifying
Collectible butter accessories
And more!
Dive headfirst into this deliciously creamy, dreamy world to get the most out of your dairy drawer. The Butter Book is a true celebration of this essential ingredient, cleverly designed and just right for home cooks, gourmands, and homesteaders alike.
THE BUTTER From butter mountains at restaurants and butter boards on TikTok to #stickofbutter outfits and butter-yellow everything in fashion and home décor, butter is at the melting point of popularity. Filled with trivia and packaged to look like an actual stick of butter, The Butter Book is a must-have for butter enthusiasts.
DELICIOUS BUTTERY Learn how to make your own or work with store-bought butter to create compound butters that enhance everyday dishes, with flavors like Seaweed, Hot Honey, and Raspberry-Thyme. Follow step-by-step instructions to create a dazzling butter board or butter sculptures for easy entertaining. Sample ten recipes that showcase butter, including Butter Roast Chicken, Grown-Up Buttered Pasta, and Cultured Butter Oat Shortbread. This kitchen handbook is full of inspiration that will make you double down on your love of butter.
IRRESISTIBLE PACKAGE PERFECT FOR With a vellum case reminiscent of a butter wrapper, this slim volume features creamy yellow pages, blue text, and twenty full-color photographs, making it extra-covetable and sure to delight dairy lovers. Slip it in a Christmas stocking or pair it with a wooden board or butter bell for a thoughtful and affordable birthday, housewarming, or hostess gift.
Perfect
Home cooks of all levels
Butter lovers
People who collect epicurean goodies like fancy olives, tinned fish, and gourmet kettle-cooked chips
Homesteaders and anyone who enjoys kitchen projects like sourdough baking, pickling, or jam-making
Shoppers looking for a holiday, birthday, or anytime gift for the cook or butter devotees in their lives
Butter is a perfect ingredient. In both cooking and baking, it can be foundational or a finishing touch. It’s a flavor powerhouse, a sauce emulsifier, a taste enhancer, and above all else, a bringer of joy. In this charming kitchen companion, you’ll
Butter’s curious history
Tips for buying butter, fun ways to serve it, and its ability to transform the most humble foods—a pot of rice, a day-old muffin—into something revelatory
How to make butter at home, then whip, clarify, or compound it to elevate your everyday cooking
Ten recipes that showcase butter’s multitudes, from Butter-Basted Scallops with Beurre Blanc to Butterscotch Pudding, each one teaching easy yet essential techniques, including browning and emulsifying
Collectible butter accessories
And more!
Dive headfirst into this deliciously creamy, dreamy world to get the most out of your dairy drawer. The Butter Book is a true celebration of this essential ingredient, cleverly designed and just right for home cooks, gourmands, and homesteaders alike.
THE BUTTER From butter mountains at restaurants and butter boards on TikTok to #stickofbutter outfits and butter-yellow everything in fashion and home décor, butter is at the melting point of popularity. Filled with trivia and packaged to look like an actual stick of butter, The Butter Book is a must-have for butter enthusiasts.
DELICIOUS BUTTERY Learn how to make your own or work with store-bought butter to create compound butters that enhance everyday dishes, with flavors like Seaweed, Hot Honey, and Raspberry-Thyme. Follow step-by-step instructions to create a dazzling butter board or butter sculptures for easy entertaining. Sample ten recipes that showcase butter, including Butter Roast Chicken, Grown-Up Buttered Pasta, and Cultured Butter Oat Shortbread. This kitchen handbook is full of inspiration that will make you double down on your love of butter.
IRRESISTIBLE PACKAGE PERFECT FOR With a vellum case reminiscent of a butter wrapper, this slim volume features creamy yellow pages, blue text, and twenty full-color photographs, making it extra-covetable and sure to delight dairy lovers. Slip it in a Christmas stocking or pair it with a wooden board or butter bell for a thoughtful and affordable birthday, housewarming, or hostess gift.
Perfect
Home cooks of all levels
Butter lovers
People who collect epicurean goodies like fancy olives, tinned fish, and gourmet kettle-cooked chips
Homesteaders and anyone who enjoys kitchen projects like sourdough baking, pickling, or jam-making
Shoppers looking for a holiday, birthday, or anytime gift for the cook or butter devotees in their lives
112 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 17, 2026
28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 12, 2025
Now, Really does anything more need to be Said? It’s about Butter and has Recipes using Butter. This Book gives a Simple Overview of the Different Butters and Even how to Make Your Own Butter which I Really Enjoyed. It is Easy. My Favorite was Another Easy Process of Making Compound Butter and Adding Different Flavorings. There are about 10 Recipes, but Can pretty much add what you like. This is Perfect for the Holidays and Entertaining or Just For Enjoying All By Yourself. Yum 😋
Recommend For Butter Lovers. Enjoy the Extra Recipes, too.
Thank You NetGalley and Chronicle Books for a Copy of this Book. I always leave reviews of Books I Read.
Recommend For Butter Lovers. Enjoy the Extra Recipes, too.
Thank You NetGalley and Chronicle Books for a Copy of this Book. I always leave reviews of Books I Read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was worried this was going to be a watered down urban outfitters coffee table book about the trendy condiment of butter - I was wrong! This is perfect for fans of Claire Dinhut's "The Condiment Book," or people who grew up watching Alton Brown.
The Butter Book, while I would not call this a cookbook (meaning it has the perfect title!!!) only features a handful of recipes - BUT really dives into the uses, history, and art of butter. I think my personal favorite part was the section on compound butters or butter sculptures!
The branding throughout the book is consistently representative of the classic butter wrapper we are used to in the US, which was fun! The photography was lovely, but I also wish it was more whimsical and less farmhouse/rustic. It felt like the imagery was too refined to match the tone of the text.
Overall, I think this is a really fun addition to any food or history lovers kitchen. I think this would be great in gift baskets or on bookshelves. Its not a book you will rely on the really up your cooking game, but it is a book that will help you have a more comprehensive understanding of everyone's favorite fat - bbbbuuuutttttteeeeerrrr!!!
I will be purchasing this as a physical copy!
The Butter Book, while I would not call this a cookbook (meaning it has the perfect title!!!) only features a handful of recipes - BUT really dives into the uses, history, and art of butter. I think my personal favorite part was the section on compound butters or butter sculptures!
The branding throughout the book is consistently representative of the classic butter wrapper we are used to in the US, which was fun! The photography was lovely, but I also wish it was more whimsical and less farmhouse/rustic. It felt like the imagery was too refined to match the tone of the text.
Overall, I think this is a really fun addition to any food or history lovers kitchen. I think this would be great in gift baskets or on bookshelves. Its not a book you will rely on the really up your cooking game, but it is a book that will help you have a more comprehensive understanding of everyone's favorite fat - bbbbuuuutttttteeeeerrrr!!!
I will be purchasing this as a physical copy!
December 7, 2025
I don’t often immediately jump to buying a book, but The Butter Book has me excited to jump and add it to my kitchen collection.
The introduction and the first couple of sections grab my eye as a food & history fiend. I loved reading into the history of butter and will likely continue to research further into that. With the author then delving into how to make butter, some of the accessories used to make it, and even going as far as to teach about different types of butter and the usage for each. As someone who hasn’t delved too much into compound butter, the compound butter section had me jittery with excitement. Unfortunately for my wallet, I went out and bought ingredients for all of them. I found the Hot Honey butter pairs fantastically with pan searing scallops. I ended up also taking inspiration from the book (and TikTok) and doing a “butter board” with micro pairings for each, taking suggestions from the book and it was an absolute smash hit. Not too long after, I cooked and baked my way through the remainder of the book. The chocolate chip cookies have easily become a new favorite of mine.
The introduction and the first couple of sections grab my eye as a food & history fiend. I loved reading into the history of butter and will likely continue to research further into that. With the author then delving into how to make butter, some of the accessories used to make it, and even going as far as to teach about different types of butter and the usage for each. As someone who hasn’t delved too much into compound butter, the compound butter section had me jittery with excitement. Unfortunately for my wallet, I went out and bought ingredients for all of them. I found the Hot Honey butter pairs fantastically with pan searing scallops. I ended up also taking inspiration from the book (and TikTok) and doing a “butter board” with micro pairings for each, taking suggestions from the book and it was an absolute smash hit. Not too long after, I cooked and baked my way through the remainder of the book. The chocolate chip cookies have easily become a new favorite of mine.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Butter Book delivers exactly what it promises. You get a concise history of butter, a walkthrough on how to make it yourself, and reassurance from the author that while the process is a bit arduous, the payoff is real. There’s a genuine sense of accomplishment waiting at the end, and the author makes a convincing case that everyone should make their own butter at least once.
The book also explores different types of butter and includes several recipes that are unapologetically butter-dependent. These are dishes that simply wouldn’t be the same without it. As someone who has read a lot of food writing and cookbooks in this vein, nothing here surprised me, but that’s not a criticism. This is exactly the kind of niche cookbook I love.
The photography is beautiful, and the author’s deep, sincere love of butter comes through on every page. If you collect cookbooks or food writing, this one is absolutely worth owning. If you don’t, it’s still well worth borrowing from the library. It’s short, inviting, and honestly the kind of book you could happily flip through in a single sitting.
Either way, it’s a delightful little ode to butter, and a very satisfying read.
The book also explores different types of butter and includes several recipes that are unapologetically butter-dependent. These are dishes that simply wouldn’t be the same without it. As someone who has read a lot of food writing and cookbooks in this vein, nothing here surprised me, but that’s not a criticism. This is exactly the kind of niche cookbook I love.
The photography is beautiful, and the author’s deep, sincere love of butter comes through on every page. If you collect cookbooks or food writing, this one is absolutely worth owning. If you don’t, it’s still well worth borrowing from the library. It’s short, inviting, and honestly the kind of book you could happily flip through in a single sitting.
Either way, it’s a delightful little ode to butter, and a very satisfying read.
November 5, 2025
“Welcome to the new golden age of butter! It’s a delicious time to be alive.”
A delightful book about a niche interest of mine, I learned many new things and am somehow an even bigger fan of butter than I was before reading this. More Butter All The Time. Though its implied goal is to share the love of dairy, this book has a few recommendations for non-dairy replacements as well.
Fun historical facts I learned from The Butter Book:
- The French giveth, and the French taketh away: Napoleon III provided the impetus for the (horrific, false) butter substitute that is margarine
- Is it really better in Europe? Maybe! European butter has a minimum of 82% fat versus American butter.'s 80%
I give it a 4.5 on cow diet facts, but that’s just a footnote of the work, so I'll keep my technicalities to myself.
Justine Doiron Butter Board mention! Yak's milk origin story! Irish bog butter lore! IOWA STATE FAIR BUTTER COW MENTION (Est. 1911)!
BRB time to learn how to make beurre blanc!!
Thank you to Chronicle Books, Anna Stockwell, and NetGalley for the ARC!
A delightful book about a niche interest of mine, I learned many new things and am somehow an even bigger fan of butter than I was before reading this. More Butter All The Time. Though its implied goal is to share the love of dairy, this book has a few recommendations for non-dairy replacements as well.
Fun historical facts I learned from The Butter Book:
- The French giveth, and the French taketh away: Napoleon III provided the impetus for the (horrific, false) butter substitute that is margarine
- Is it really better in Europe? Maybe! European butter has a minimum of 82% fat versus American butter.'s 80%
I give it a 4.5 on cow diet facts, but that’s just a footnote of the work, so I'll keep my technicalities to myself.
Justine Doiron Butter Board mention! Yak's milk origin story! Irish bog butter lore! IOWA STATE FAIR BUTTER COW MENTION (Est. 1911)!
BRB time to learn how to make beurre blanc!!
Thank you to Chronicle Books, Anna Stockwell, and NetGalley for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Who knew that I needed to know much more about butter than I already did? Did you know that in the state of Wisconsin, which has long held the title of The Dairy State, it was illegal to sell butter substitutes for decades? People would literally make margarine runs to neighboring states and bring back car trunk loads of the butter alternative. (Read more here.)
The Butter Book contains the following:
Filled with trivia
Physical book is packaged to look like an actual stick of butter
Learn how to make your own or work with store-bought butter to create compound butters
Step-by-step instructions to create a dazzling butter board or butter sculptures for easy entertaining
Sample ten recipes that showcase butter, including Butter Roast Chicken, Grown-Up Buttered Pasta, and Cultured Butter Oat Shortbread.
Twenty full-color photographs, which are absolutely gorgeous
and more!
Who knew that I needed to know much more about butter than I already did? Did you know that in the state of Wisconsin, which has long held the title of The Dairy State, it was illegal to sell butter substitutes for decades? People would literally make margarine runs to neighboring states and bring back car trunk loads of the butter alternative. (Read more here.)
The Butter Book contains the following:
Filled with trivia
Physical book is packaged to look like an actual stick of butter
Learn how to make your own or work with store-bought butter to create compound butters
Step-by-step instructions to create a dazzling butter board or butter sculptures for easy entertaining
Sample ten recipes that showcase butter, including Butter Roast Chicken, Grown-Up Buttered Pasta, and Cultured Butter Oat Shortbread.
Twenty full-color photographs, which are absolutely gorgeous
and more!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
ARC REVIEW****
This book is truly a love letter to butter. If you’ve ever wanted to know everything there is to know about butter,from clarifying it, to making compound butters, to using it in both savory and sweet recipes, this book delivers. Anna Stockwell breaks things down in a way that feels approachable, informative, and genuinely fun to read.
The recipes are the real stars here. They’re simple yet elevated, and you can tell butter is treated as the main character, not just an ingredient. The chocolate chip cookies? Absolute chef’s kiss,perfectly rich, buttery, and unforgettable.
Whether you’re a seasoned home cook or someone who just loves a good kitchen experiment, this book will earn a permanent spot on your counter. I’m already looking forward to trying many more recipes and finding new ways to let butter shine. 🧈✨
This book is truly a love letter to butter. If you’ve ever wanted to know everything there is to know about butter,from clarifying it, to making compound butters, to using it in both savory and sweet recipes, this book delivers. Anna Stockwell breaks things down in a way that feels approachable, informative, and genuinely fun to read.
The recipes are the real stars here. They’re simple yet elevated, and you can tell butter is treated as the main character, not just an ingredient. The chocolate chip cookies? Absolute chef’s kiss,perfectly rich, buttery, and unforgettable.
Whether you’re a seasoned home cook or someone who just loves a good kitchen experiment, this book will earn a permanent spot on your counter. I’m already looking forward to trying many more recipes and finding new ways to let butter shine. 🧈✨
November 20, 2025
Delightful! I had heard of some of the terms used here, but didnt really know what they were. Like clarified butter or a butter compound. Now I know exactly what they are and have recipes to make my own compound butter (going for the pumpkin spice next week at Thanksgiving). I had made my own butter before, but this book gave me new tips to make it a success, so I am going to try again.
As a child, I thought all butters were alike, I learned in the last few years that they are not, and this book further explained why I prefer one over another.
There is nothing quite like the taste of butter in your dishes, read this book and see exactly how you can take something from good to next level. Brilliantly executed!
As a child, I thought all butters were alike, I learned in the last few years that they are not, and this book further explained why I prefer one over another.
There is nothing quite like the taste of butter in your dishes, read this book and see exactly how you can take something from good to next level. Brilliantly executed!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
An intriguing and fascinating history of the glorious food that changed our history in food as we know it: butter! As someone who loves reading anything about food and the history of food, this was a book that I absolutely enjoyed and couldn't put down! This was a love story and ode to butter in the best way possible and I feel closer to knowing more about this mellow substance than I had before. This food is feared by most but there's nothing to be afraid for butter is here to stay! Needless to say, I CAN believe it IS butter!
I would love to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC book in exchange for an honest review.
I would love to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I WON'T STOP TALKING ABOUT BUTTER. For a “cookbook,” the history section was surprisingly my favorite part—I walked away with genuine insight and plenty of new conversation topics. Anna Stockwell fully leans into the joy of writing an entire book about butter, especially in the playful and informative section “A Dozen and One Things a Bit of Butter Instantly Makes Better.”
The recipes and photography are truly drool-worthy, striking a balance between approachability and indulgence. This book doesn’t just offer recipes; it deepens your appreciation for an ingredient most of us take for granted. I can’t wait to start cooking from it.
The recipes and photography are truly drool-worthy, striking a balance between approachability and indulgence. This book doesn’t just offer recipes; it deepens your appreciation for an ingredient most of us take for granted. I can’t wait to start cooking from it.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book is not your average coffee table book, as I expected it to be! It truly showcased the craftmanship and creative possibilities of artisan butter. It gives amazing recipes and opens your mind up to different uses and techniques for cooking with or making butter. I will never be buying butter again, I loved taking time and following the books instructions and knowing that my butter was created by me! I gifted some small batches with fresh sourdough bread to friends and family for Christmas as well!
Thank you so much to Anna Stockwell, Netgalley, and Chronical Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you so much to Anna Stockwell, Netgalley, and Chronical Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A light, engaging read that also manages to be quite informative. The recipes are comprehensive and easy to follow, with some genuinely innovative twists on classics. I can't wait to try my hand at those mochi butter cupcakes! Or the 'adult butter pasta' with the anchovies. The illustrations were pretty and fit the vibe perfectly, and I love that the book included full visuals in the directions for making your own butter. All in all, well worth a look.
Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions within are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions within are my own.
December 17, 2025
So whimsical and practical! I loved the pictures of butter tools and the included history of butter was so interesting. I have made ghee before but not clarified butter. I didn’t realize they were different. I can’t wait to make the hot honey butter and try it on a butter board.
This book is informative and fun. I wanted more recipes. It would be a great gift or a practical coffee table book. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
This book is informative and fun. I wanted more recipes. It would be a great gift or a practical coffee table book. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
November 29, 2025
Short but very informative. The photos are beautiful and I will definitely be trying some of the recipes, especially the Pommes Anna and the scallops with beurre blanc.
We get a bit of history about butter, techniques for making clarified butter and ghee, and shown different ways to present butter.
Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the eARC.
We get a bit of history about butter, techniques for making clarified butter and ghee, and shown different ways to present butter.
Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the eARC.
December 7, 2025
The formatting is so fun and the content is engaging and easy to follow. There are instructions for making your own butter, zhuzhing up store-bought butter, and making treats like butterscotch pudding and chocolate chip cookies.
This would make a great gift for any (dairy loving) baker!
Thank you to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.
This would make a great gift for any (dairy loving) baker!
Thank you to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
So much fun! This book is full of stunning photos, fun butter facts, and interesting recipes. It’s the perfect gift for the cooks and food enthusiasts in your life. Love the cover. This book would make a cute addition to your kitchen shelf and would even make a great coffee table book. I already got my hands on a hard copy.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Netgalley ARC- Cute little book, has some tidbits about the history of butter (which I'd previously never really thought about). The handful of recipes are a good representation of dishes that use butter, easy to follow and well written. Definitely a good coffee table book that anyone would devour.
February 9, 2026
Thanks to the publisher fur letting he review this book. This was a quick read. There is a bit if history along with how to make butters and butter accessories. Towards the end if the book, there are quite a few easy recipes.
November 15, 2025
Gorgeous layout and photographs. Maybe the hidden gem of my reading year. A common household staple is far from ordinary, this book explores how to make your butter experience shine!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
You butter read this book to learn about its history, current trends, and recipes. A small but fun detail is that the pages are designed similar to common butter wrapping.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book contains butter history, accessories, recipes, and other various things on butter. The recipes were neat, containing some good recipes, but the informational parts stole the show for me. The writing was engaging and the material interesting.
A great book for anyone with an interest in butter
ARC provided by Netgalley & Chronicle Books
A great book for anyone with an interest in butter
ARC provided by Netgalley & Chronicle Books
November 15, 2025
this is good for what it is: a brief, topical book on butter. if you love butter or you know someone who does, this makes a cute gift and a fun addition to your shelf.
don't expect a full cookbook or in-depth knowledge on butter; for that, try elsewhere. what you do get is a brief history of butter, instructions for making different kinds, flavor ideas, buying tips, and ten easy-to-follow, butter-forward recipes.
i only wish the layout were better designed...some graphics or better photo placement would have helped to break up the large blocks of text. that said, i can see this doing well at anthropologie or in those cute stationery & trinket boutique shops.
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thank you chronicle books and netgalley for the arc!
don't expect a full cookbook or in-depth knowledge on butter; for that, try elsewhere. what you do get is a brief history of butter, instructions for making different kinds, flavor ideas, buying tips, and ten easy-to-follow, butter-forward recipes.
i only wish the layout were better designed...some graphics or better photo placement would have helped to break up the large blocks of text. that said, i can see this doing well at anthropologie or in those cute stationery & trinket boutique shops.
––––––––––
thank you chronicle books and netgalley for the arc!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews