Oh do we ever relish simple pleasures. Take our latest addiction – equal parts sweet butter and foie gras, beautifully blended into a silken spread. Tasty alchemy that makes an easy holiday hors d’oeuvre.

This recipe is adapted from Jennifer McLagan’s excellent cookbook, Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipes. Which by the way, makes a fabulous Christmas gift! We especially love this decadent treat during the winter months, as it’s got the subtle flavor of traditional baking spices. Try it spread on warm baguette, stirred into hot polenta or slathered on a ripe fig. Heaven!

Foie Gras Butter with Quatre Epices

makes about 1 cup

4 ounces D’Artagnan Foie Gras Cubes

4 ounces unsalted butter, softened (we used Strauss Family Creamery)

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon finely ground pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Leave foie gras cubes on a plate at room temperature until softened. Mash with a pastry bender or fork then remove any veins, blemishes or stringy tissue. Place mashed foie gras onto saran wrap then roll into a tight log, about ½ inch in diameter. Secure the ends. Refrigerate until firm.

Prepare an ice water bath, set aside. Bring saucepan of salted water to a boil. Reduce heat to bare simmer. Drop in foie gras. Poach until the foie gras is soft and the fat is beginning to melt, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and place in prepared ice water bath to cool.

Remove plastic wrap and place foie gras in bowl of food processor. Add butter, salt, pepper, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger.  Process until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary, about 1 minute. Transfer to container and refrigerate for up to one week, or freeze for several months.