Blue Bonnet Butter Vs. Real Butter - Is There A Difference?

Decorating By born2bake Updated 9 Jun 2017 , 1:22pm by littlejewel

KoryAK Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
KoryAK Posted 30 Jun 2008 , 1:51am
post #31 of 76

butter!

delicious_designs7 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
delicious_designs7 Posted 30 Jun 2008 , 1:53am
post #32 of 76

I guess it's not about which is better, but how you make it taste with the rest of the ingredients. icon_smile.gif It's funny though that everyone can have such a strong opinion. icon_smile.gif

hellie0h Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
hellie0h Posted 30 Jun 2008 , 2:02am
post #33 of 76

I use both, Blue Bonnet and stick butter. I baked cakes yesterday and today one yellow cake batch I used BB the other butter...same recipe the cake with the BB did rise higher.
Now, Indy lol...you are like my sister with the butter, I can't get her to touch it with a 10' pole.
If you have never tried the Amish rolled butter, you just may change your mind with what you put on your biscuit. It is sweet, creamy and out of this world. Store stick butter just isn't the same quality as rolled butter.

playingwithsugar Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
playingwithsugar Posted 30 Jun 2008 , 2:10am
post #34 of 76

I have to agree with the others about farm-fresh butter. A friend of mine used to get it for me several years ago. It was so much better than stick butter. It was creamy, but not as greasy as stick butter.

I wish that farm had not been sold off to a housing developer. I would still be buying my butter there.

Theresa icon_smile.gif

cwcopeland Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
cwcopeland Posted 30 Jun 2008 , 2:19am
post #35 of 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

Ummmmm.....No.

I can't understand where the phrase "sweet creamery butter" comes from because I think "real" butter is the most vile, bitterest, nastiest tasting crap I've ever tried. Given the choice between dog poop and real butter on my biscuit, I'd probably just go hungry.

It may very well be because I grew up on margarine .... when your mom is raising six kids, she doesn't spend perfectly good money on $3 "butter" when the 29 cent yellow stick of fat works "JUST fine!" I swear, sometimes I think I'm the only kid that grew up poor in America .... 'coz to hear everyone on the food channel and the tv commercials tell it, EVERYONE'S mother used real butter! icon_confused.gif Well, none of the mothers *I* knew ever used real butter! I never knew there was such a thing until I was in my late teens/ early 20's.




My mother was 7 years old in Tokyo when the US bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki (she's japanese). She along with everyone else in Japan at that time nearly starved.

That being said, we ate as cheap as possible as kids and Blue Bonnet was "butter" in our house. I never knew what real butter was until I grew up, moved out and realized there was a difference. Mom still cooks and bakes with Blue Bonnet.

Since I have a hangup about NOT wanting to be like my mom (another story), I always bake with real butter but use margarine for everything else (baked potatoes, veggies, etc). I need to get over it because her baking is as good as mine and a lot cheaper.

hollyw567 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
hollyw567 Posted 30 Jun 2008 , 2:25am
post #36 of 76

I'm not a chemist or anything, but I've heard that margarine is one molecule away from being plastic! As scary as that sounds, I only use margarine in my icing. I used to use real butter, but with my budget and with me making more cakes, I've resorted to the cheap margarine. Margarine does blend better. When I used real butter, my icing would sometimes have lumps in it.

arosstx Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
arosstx Posted 30 Jun 2008 , 2:39am
post #37 of 76

I am a butter fan when baking, and especially when making buttercream. I like the way it helps the bc 'set up' in the frig. I think it helps keep the cakes firm and together while transporting - a big plus in my opinion.

Butter is natural, margarine is man-made. Out bodies can process butter easier than margarine, but we have both in our frig.

Margarine also has a higher water content. If you ever want to see this for yourself, melt a stick of each and see what you get.

Nice thing about this topic is that there is no right or wrong, just personal preference! icon_smile.gif

pjmw Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
pjmw Posted 30 Jun 2008 , 2:46am
post #38 of 76

indydebi, I'll join your poor kids club. We only had butter on the farm at grandma's but we had to make it ourselves. At our farm, we didn't have cows so we had margarine. I use butter with cakes; margarine with cookies--CCers swore it would help my cookies keep their shape and they were right.

Doug--in central IL hum????? me too!

Paula

debster Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
debster Posted 30 Jun 2008 , 2:47am
post #39 of 76

We were so poor I remember the day they came around with mini samples of wonder bread. All 7 of us kids got our own loaf and that was dinner for the day. Ah the cucumber , tomato and miracle whip sandwhiches. Never knew of butter until later in life, I must say for baking and icing that calls for butter I LOVE the taste of that over margarine. I do use BB and may have to start using that in cookies if these prices don't quit, but to butter lovers they can taste my sugar cookies without icing and can pick up the butter taste. I guess we all have a preverance. Mine will be changing due to my pocket book soon I have a feeling. icon_cry.gif

JanH Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
JanH Posted 30 Jun 2008 , 5:11am
post #40 of 76

We lived in WI (where margarine was banned for a long time) so my parents would always load up when visiting relatives in IL.
(Had to mix in the yellow coloring that was included with the margarine yourself!)

When we moved to IL, we had our choice of margarines!

I use butter, oil or shortening in baking, margarine spread for toast and butter and/or hi-ratio shortening for frosting. Also use coconut oil for frying eggs and making popcorn.

Couldn't find any info on Blue Bonnet butter or oil/butter blend.....

ConAgra Foods lists: (Blue Bonnet) stick margarine, light stick margarine, margarine bowl, and light margarine bowl.

Margarine choices (stick, spread, oil/butter blends):

http://tinyurl.com/645463

More info on Smart Balance oil/butter blend sticks:

http://tinyurl.com/5ja3ym

There seem to be some misconceptions about the fat and water content of margarine, salted and unsalted butter:
(Margarine & salted butter are the same, while unsalted butter can have a slightly higher water content.)

http://tinyurl.com/hresc
(Chart showing compostion of salted, unsalted & whipped butter.)

The real deal (facts) on margarine being one molecule away from plastic being spread via the internet:

http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/butter.asp

Unsalted butter may be "fresher" than salted butter in the store because it has a shorter shelf life (so faster turn-over than salted butter).

Substituting salted butter for unsalted:

http://www.ochef.com/865.htm

Difference between butter and margarine:

http://www.ochef.com/864.htm

Don't understand the prohibition against using salted butter in the meringue b/c's...... (Unless it's because salt lowers the melting point of butter.)

These popular CC Italian & Swiss meringue b/c recipes use salted butter:

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-2426-Italian-Meringue-Buttercream--Shirleys-Method.html

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-6927-Very-Vanilla-Swiss-Meringue-Buttercream.html

IMHO, they're all good (for somebody) and personal taste is the deciding factor (or maybe your budget given current inflation rates).

HTH

Mike1394 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Mike1394 Posted 30 Jun 2008 , 11:01am
post #41 of 76

Butter melts. Margarine don't. If you leave them both out on the counter on a 90 deg day. The butter will be a puddle. The margarine will be standing as tall as ever. The lower melting pt. of butter is what gives it a better mouth feel for baked goods. Ever have a bake good stick to the inside of your mouth? That's the one with the margarine.

Mike

debster Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
debster Posted 30 Jun 2008 , 12:54pm
post #42 of 76

Wow thanks JanH for the ton of information, you are so good at finding this stuff, and Mike now I know why I love butter in my cookies. Seriously though if prices don't go down my cookies will be sticking to the top of my mouth. Hahahahahahaha................no offense to margarine users. I use both here myself, just not for baking. YET.

dailey Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
dailey Posted 30 Jun 2008 , 6:41pm
post #43 of 76

butter all the way! margarine is just gross thumbsdown.gif


there's a reason why margarine is so cheap!

born2bake Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
born2bake Posted 6 Jul 2008 , 11:56pm
post #44 of 76

WOW! icon_eek.gif I'm speechless with all the great responses. I've learned a great deal from all of you and thank you so much for the postings. I'm going to take the advise of one and do a test cake recipe using BB in one batch and butter in another batch. I'll so the same with doing a test batch of BC frosting - butter in one batch and BB in another. I'll post the results of my 'experiment'.

B2B

KoryAK Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
KoryAK Posted 7 Jul 2008 , 2:38am
post #45 of 76

Hey Jan, just try some salted butter in your S/IMBC and you'll see why! It whips up all the same, but its nothing I would want on a cake! (you can really taste the salt)

Cakepro Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Cakepro Posted 7 Jul 2008 , 4:35am
post #46 of 76

Butter rules.

Margarine is gross.

And I have never heard of anyone of slathering ketchup or mayo on bread and eating that as a sandwich, although one day, I made my husband's lunch while I was mad at him and when he opened it to eat it while at work, he discovered he had a mustard sandwich!! Haha - punishment!

twindees Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
twindees Posted 7 Jul 2008 , 5:25pm
post #47 of 76

There is NOTHING like REAL butter (Unsalted for baking) It's the best thing. I do not cut corners when it comes to that.

crislen Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
crislen Posted 9 Jul 2008 , 8:54pm
post #48 of 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetiemama

I would think most people would agree that real butter tastes much better.


Ummmmm.....No.

I can't understand where the phrase "sweet creamery butter" comes from because I think "real" butter is the most vile, bitterest, nastiest tasting crap I've ever tried. Given the choice between dog poop and real butter on my biscuit, I'd probably just go hungry.

It may very well be because I grew up on margarine .... when your mom is raising six kids, she doesn't spend perfectly good money on $3 "butter" when the 29 cent yellow stick of fat works "JUST fine!" I swear, sometimes I think I'm the only kid that grew up poor in America .... 'coz to hear everyone on the food channel and the tv commercials tell it, EVERYONE'S mother used real butter! icon_confused.gif Well, none of the mothers *I* knew ever used real butter! I never knew there was such a thing until I was in my late teens/ early 20's.




I'm in the dirt poor club too... we baked with hard margarine (the stick / square type) and my mom even once bought the gallon margarine container once to do all her christmas baking with. To this day, both my mom and me prefer margarine (now the non-hydrogenated kind) over butter on toast, sandwiches, potatoes, popcorn (especially air-popped popcorn!) etc. BUT I bake with butter all the time for my cakes and cookies since I was under the impression that it was far superior. However with it being 4.50 for a pound of unsalted now, I think when I have a bit of money saved I'm going to do a taste test between butter and margarine (imperial brand) to see if people can really taste a difference between cookies, cakes, and amercian buttercream icings

twooten173 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
twooten173 Posted 9 Jul 2008 , 11:35pm
post #49 of 76

crislen, you need to start shopping at restaruant depot. I get butter there for around $2.20 a lb. I just paid $4.50 a lb for the farm fresh stuff but that is to play around with for dh.

And after that post with the info about how bad maragine can be for your health, I don't think I'll buy it anymore.

susies1955 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
susies1955 Posted 19 Oct 2008 , 9:53am
post #50 of 76

I know this BUTTER/Margarine discussion is from July but I was wondering if anyone had switched from one to the other since this discussion.
I WAS a margarine user until I started into the cake/icing world last summer. I love butter but would like to start using margarine more because of the price.
I'll have to do some testing myself?
Great thread.
Susie who is having her 53rd birthday today. YEHA! I'll post the cake I made myself in MY PHOTOS. icon_smile.gif

chutzpah Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
chutzpah Posted 19 Oct 2008 , 4:42pm
post #51 of 76

Why not raise your prices to accomodate the price of butter instead of using a product of lesser quality?

Michelle104 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Michelle104 Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 3:51pm
post #52 of 76

I also don't remember "real" butter growing up! I really just thought butter was butter and "salad dressing/miracle whip" was mayonaisse! Never knew there was "real" mayo! I LOVE LOVE LOVE real butter now! Discovered it when I got married and did my own grocery shopping and baking and such! Nothing better on warm fresh bread! MMMMMMMMMMMM!!! And I have to say that my very favorite thing to eat when I was a kid were ketchup sandwiches!!! Loved em!!! icon_lol.gif

chutzpah Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
chutzpah Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 5:29pm
post #53 of 76

Ketchup sammidges??

Now that is just not right.

Michelle104 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Michelle104 Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 6:22pm
post #54 of 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by chutzpah

Ketchup sammidges??

Now that is just not right.




icon_lol.gificon_lol.gif LOL!!!! You ARE right!! I keep remembering how much I loved them when I was a kid and the thought of trying one now is pretty appalling!!! icon_eek.gif

Marysmom Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Marysmom Posted 24 Oct 2008 , 2:08pm
post #55 of 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lady_Phoenix

Sadly there is no salt free margarines.




I just wanted to say that Fleischmann's makes a salt-free margarine now. I believe it's the only one on the market.

trishalynn0708 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
trishalynn0708 Posted 24 Oct 2008 , 3:10pm
post #56 of 76

I was wondering this as well. I am glad so many people commented and I could read what everyone had to say!

itsacake Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
itsacake Posted 24 Oct 2008 , 9:44pm
post #57 of 76

Just thought this was interesting. I'm not putting any value judgment on it:

I had to do a paper on fats in my baking and pastry class. I chose to make the same chocolate cake recipe 7 times using unsalted butter, unsalted Saffola margarine, organic-no-trans-fat Earth Balance shortening,, Crisco, Sweetex, oil, and applesauce.

The method differed a little bit for the oil and the applesauce cakes. I whipped the egg whites separately in these make up for the lack of air when creaming shortening/butter), but all the ingredients were otherwise the same for all seven cakes.

I gave the seven uniced, numbered, blind samples to the other students in my class and some spouses also participated--admittedly a small sample. It was a HUGE surprise to me that no one preferred the cake with butter! The favorites were the Earth Balance and Sweetex cakes. The only "fat" that was consistently recognized was the cake that had applesauce as a fat replacement and it was not the least liked. No one correctly identified the cake with butter, but one person did say they liked that cake the least.

I'm sure that with a non-chocolate cake, the butter would have been more missed, but as far as texture and flavor in the chocolate cake, the butter was a bust.

-Tubbs Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
-Tubbs Posted 25 Oct 2008 , 12:30am
post #58 of 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by chutzpah

Ketchup sammidges??

Now that is just not right.




No, it really isn't!

When I was little, two special treats were sugar sandwiches (with lots of butter of course - how else would you stick the sugar to the bread?) and condensed milk on toast. mmmmmm.

No wonder I have good ole British teeth full of fillings.

For me, butter gets the vote thumbs_up.gif . Hate margarine, hate it, hate it.

kelleym Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
kelleym Posted 25 Oct 2008 , 1:31am
post #59 of 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by itsacake


I had to do a paper on fats in my baking and pastry class. I chose to make the same chocolate cake recipe 7 times using unsalted butter, unsalted Saffola margarine, organic-no-trans-fat Earth Balance shortening,, Crisco, Sweetex, oil, and applesauce.

The favorites were the Earth Balance and Sweetex cakes.




Is Earth Balance the soy butter substitute? My son has a severe milk allergy and I've been contemplating making cake/cookies/icing with it, but was very, very afraid of the result (I worship at the altar of real butter).

itsacake Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
itsacake Posted 25 Oct 2008 , 2:51am
post #60 of 76

They have changed the packaging since I did this, but the shortening I used is here:
http://www.earthbalancenatural.com/#/products/shortening/
it is salt-free, dairy free, and trans-fat free, so I feel good baking with it when I need to be non-dairy. I have to admit though that since I buy hi-ratio in 50-lb blocks and therefore always have it around, I usually use it for convenience and cost.

When I bake Challah bread, which needs to be dairy free, since I am adding salt anyway I usually use Earth Balance margarine:
http://www.earthbalancenatural.com/#/products/soy-garden/
I did taste tests between Earth Balance and Crisco for the bread, and Earth Balance came out ahead.

Hope this helps

Quote by @%username% on %date%

%body%