BUTTER

Butter is made from churning cream and is a kitchen essential. Without it, cakes, biscuits and pastries wouldn't have the same melting richness and tender texture. It's also used in many classic sauces, such as beurre blanc, beurre noisette, beurre meunier and hollandaise. Added at the end of cooking, it gives richness and gloss to sauces. With a fat content of 80 per cent, butter isn't exactly diet food, but a little goes a long way.