Brown butter is cooking the milk particles of the butter until browned. It adds warm rich flavor to any dish, especially desserts and sweet treats!
1 stick butter, salted or unsalted
1. Slice the butter into tablespoon portions.
2. Place a light colored pot over medium heat, then add the butter.
3. Cook the butter until evenly melted, then adjust the heat higher to medium-high. Allow the butter to come to a rapid bubbly simmer.
4. While adjusting the heat between medium and medium-high, continually whisk the butter until the milk particles have browned and the liquid is a rich caramel or amber color. I’ve found that once the butter is melted this process takes 4-5 minutes.
5. Once fully browned, immediately pour into a heat proof bowl and set aside to slightly cool before using in the rest of the recipe.
This uses 1 stick of butter, but recipes may call for a different amount. Just make sure to slice the butter so it melts evenly. I don’t recommend browning more than 2 sticks of butte at a time.
I like to use a pot instead of a pan. Using a pot ensures the bubbles and splatter stay in the pot and not all over your stove top.
Make sure the pot is light in color, you need to see when the bits have browned which would be difficult in a dark pot.
Making brown butters requires you to watch, listen, and smell! Watch for the rapid bubble, listen for when then bubbles go quite, and smell for the toasted nuttiness! See post above for more sight, sound, smell instructions.