handmade holiday // wood butter

last year was the very first year i started making our christmas gifts.  not only it is a wonderful way to give someone a piece of your heart, but it does save one quite a few pennies and makes snowy days spent indoors more festive.  this year, i decided to try my hand at making wood butter.  wood butter?  yes, the stuff that makes those cracking spoons of yours sing as they stir your holiday soup or what have you.  it's like a deep conditioning treatment for all things wood in your kitchen (and home) and will make your hands softer than a baby's bum in the process. 

ingredients 

1 16 oz. jar of extra virgin coconut oil (i used trader joe's)
1/2 cup of chopped yellow bee's wax
jars
labels 
a marker

to prepare, in a large pot filled with a few inches of water, place a very large mason jar or heavy glass pyrex measuring bowl.  first, put in the coconut oil, following with the bee's wax on top.  set the heat to simmer, stirring every so often, letting the wax melt into the oil.  this might take a bit so fold some sundry or bounce a baby on your knee while you wait.  the heat will eventually cause the mixture to emulsify, becoming smooth and velvety.  once melted, pour the butter into small mason jars and set aside to cool. 

to use, slather it on a wooden spoon rather generously let it soak in overnight, then buff with a dry cloth in the morning. 

this whole process took me about thirty minutes, including the labeling and such.  what a fun gift to give all of my favorite cooks!