Plugra in Cookies

[claire797]

I like to support my local supermarket's carrying the brand (my request!) and want to help the stock keep turning over.

I almost danced in the supermarket aile when my Queens supermarket started selling Plugra. AND 10 cents cheaper than Fairway . I, too, buy it thinking that they won't discontinue selling it if stock goes fast.

In a Gourmet issue last year I read an article about the use of Plugra and other premium butters for baking. I don't remember the specifics, as what came better or not, but I remember that overall, Plugra got excellent grades. Runner-up was Land O Lakes european style - but I wasn't thrilled with it.

It was the Gourmet article that triggered me to actually purchase some Plugra. I knew about European-style butter, but the article convinced me to actually buy some.

[foodie52]

claire brought me some of her wonderful pecan sables today....they are buttery and fresh and melt-in-your-mouth. I shared them with a few select people: everyone agreed that they were perfect.

Whatever you used, it worked.

Thanks for sharing!

[claire797]

claire brought me some of her wonderful pecan sables today....they are buttery and fresh and melt-in-your-mouth. I shared them with a few select people: everyone agreed that they were perfect.

Whatever you used, it worked.

Thanks for sharing!

I used the Plugra. Maybe I should bring you some non-Plugra cookies just so you'll have something to compare.

[claire797]

The results are in. I made a rhubarb strawberry tart using a combination of shortening and Plugra. Unbelievable! I have never tasted a better tart crust. Ever. I will never, ever use regular butter in pie crust again.

[Toliver]

The results are in. 

It looks delicious!

Thanks for doing a taste-test and posting the results. This is one of the reasons why I find eGullet to be so invaluable.

Doing a taste-test for Plugra sure beats doing a taste-test for fake chocolate bars, eh? (Darn it, I can't find that thread!)

[Joni]

Is everyone using the RED wrapped Plugra?? They do have a SILVER wrapped -- European style Plugra at Trader Joes. It is double the cost of the Red wrapped Plugra.

[ronnie_suburban]

Is everyone using the RED wrapped Plugra??  They do have a SILVER wrapped -- European style Plugra at Trader Joes.  It is double the cost of the Red wrapped Plugra.

I buy the red because I find that with the other pack, the paper liner of the foil wrapper tends to stick to the product.

=R=

[rickster]

Is everyone using the RED wrapped Plugra?? They do have a SILVER wrapped -- European style Plugra at Trader Joes. It is double the cost of the Red wrapped Plugra.

My TJs only carries the red wrapped variety. For a while last year when butter prices were really high, it was cheaper than regular butter in a supermarket.

[Toliver]

Is everyone using the RED wrapped Plugra??  They do have a SILVER wrapped -- European style Plugra at Trader Joes.  It is double the cost of the Red wrapped Plugra.

Yikes! I wasn't aware of that. My TJ's offers only the silver wrapped Plugra. Guess I should check out some of the upscale grocery stores in my town to try and find the red wrapped kind. Thanks for mentioning this.

[Socrates]

The results are in.  I made a rhubarb strawberry tart using a combination of shortening and Plugra.  Unbelievable!  I have never tasted a better tart crust.  Ever.  I will never, ever use regular butter in pie crust again.

That does it, I have to ask Xan. to try this-using maybe peaches or nectarines and ollallie berries instead of strawberry and rhubarb. I'm sorry to say I don't like rhubarb.

Any particular tart crust recipe you can recommend? :

[claire797]

Here's the recipe for the tart in its entirety. I'm sure you could skip the strawberry-rhubarb filling and use whatever you'd like. I think my next one is going to be pecan. This is based on a recipe from a great book called Once Upon a Tart but I made some significant changes.

Tart Shell

This makes more than enough for one 11 inch tart. It's supposed to make enough for 2 10 inch shells, but I used an 11 inch tart shell and am saving the rest of the dough for some mini tarts. You could probably halve this recipe depending on how big your tart pan is. In my opinion, it's better to have too much dough than too little.

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tablespoon sugar

8 tablespoons frozen, cut up European style butter

8 tablespoons butter-flavored Crisco (you could use regular)

About 1/4 to 1/3 cup ice water

For the filling

1 pound frozen rhubarb, thawed

3 cups cut up strawberries

3 Tablespoons flour

1/2 to 2/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

For the topping

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup rolled oats ( I actually forgot them!)

1/4 cup pecans

1/4 cup chilled unsalted butter

pinch of kosher salt

For crust, chill all ingredients except water and put in food processor. Pulse until mixture resembles course crumbs. You'll have a few lumps of shortening, but that's okay. Whatever you do, don't let it all "come together" in the processor. At this point, all you want to do is make coarse crumbly "meal".

Pour crumbly mixture back into bowl. Add a few tablespoons of water and mix with hands or spoon until dough comes together. Keep adding water until the mixture is somewhat raggedy, but holds together. Don't overwork the dough! If you have a few lumps of cold fat here and there, you're fine. If you plan to make 2 tarts, divide into 2 discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400. When dough is thoroughly chilled, roll into a circle and fit into tart pan. Cover with foil and weigh foil down with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 5 minutes more. Your crust is now "par-baked" and ready to go.

In large bowl, mix rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, flour and cinnamon. Pour into par-baked crust. In food processor, mix flour, sugar, pecans, oats and butter. Pulse until crumbly. Sprinkle on top of rhubarb mixture. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes.

[Alex]

Is everyone using the RED wrapped Plugra??  They do have a SILVER wrapped -- European style Plugra at Trader Joes.  It is double the cost of the Red wrapped Plugra.

By me, the unsalted comes in a gold wrapper, the salted in a silver one (both 8 oz. packages). Is the red wrapper (which looks waxed) a 1lb. package? (Although that wouldn't make sense if the silver is double the cost of the red.)

The distributor's web site also lists Plugra clarified butter and heavy cream. Has anyone use those products? (I've never seen them here.)

[rickster]

Yes the red waxy looking wrapper is a 1 pound block of Plugra.

[Socrates]

Here's the recipe for the tart in its entirety.  I'm sure you could skip the strawberry-rhubarb filling and use whatever you'd like.  I think my next one is going to be pecan.  This is based on a recipe from a great book called Once Upon a Tart but I made some significant changes.

Great, thanks so much. And Xanthippe thanks you too, and my mother, my father... Will llet you know how ours turns out. We always have Plugra in the freezer.

[sherribabee]

Hmmm...The only Plugra I found at D'Agostino's (the one at 35th & 3rd in NYC) was in a gold foil-type wrapper, 8 oz. And guess how much it was? $6.57.

$6.57!!!! That's $13.14 per pound.

I was frightened.

[Toliver]

Hmmm...The only Plugra I found at D'Agostino's (the one at 35th & 3rd in NYC) was in a gold foil-type wrapper, 8 oz.  And guess how much it was?  $6.57.

$6.57!!!!  That's $13.14 per pound.

I was frightened.

Don't buy it at that price!

I am sure other "NYCer's" will be able to direct you to a more reasonably priced market in the city.

[sherribabee]

Hmmm...The only Plugra I found at D'Agostino's (the one at 35th & 3rd in NYC) was in a gold foil-type wrapper, 8 oz.  And guess how much it was?  $6.57.

$6.57!!!!  That's $13.14 per pound.  

I was frightened.

Don't buy it at that price!

I am sure other "NYCer's" will be able to direct you to a more reasonably priced market in the city.

Yeah, I wasn't about to lay out that kind of money for butter, I don't care how good it is!

I'm having a friend of mine price-check for me at Garden of Eden, which is next door to her apt. And I'll probably swing by Dean & Deluca on my way home tonight to price it there.

[bripastryguy]

I just bought a case of Plugra for around $62.00 ($2.09 / pound) at Restaurant Depot, it only was 13 cents more a pound then regular unsalted no name butter....awesome buttercream