Brown Butter - THE CHEAT CODE
So you want to level up your baking? Look no further. Brown butter is an amazing asset to making buttercream taste PHENOMENAL, baked cookies tasting a bit extra and it's so incredibly easy to make that I feel like I am using a cheat code. You can, too! Here's the basics and what you'll need to accomplish this task:
Unsalted Butter (typically I use 6 sticks for the recipes here which are my buttercream recipes)
Large pot with handles
Wooden spoon or heat resistant spatula
Seems to good to be true? I'm telling you - it is. Here's the simple steps to follow to create your very own brown butter!
HOW TO:
Place the butter in the large pot. I never usually bring it to room temperature, as I find it unnecessary. Place on the stove and heat up on medium/ med-high heat stirring the sticks until they're all melted. Drop back down to medium heat.
The butter will go through many stages! It first starts to get foamy, then it will bubble like crazy! Then it will turn a medium/golden brown and finally, it will start to gently foam again and you will see specks of brown butter (you'll also smell it at this point). Gently stir periodically through all points.
It is VERY IMPERATIVE that once you see the specs start to brown, stir it once or twice over and TAKE THE POT OFF the heat and pour the butter in to the glass bowl carefully. Scrape off any of the caramelized bits on the bottom of the pan, too! Make sure they make it in the butter bowl.
Let the glass bowl come to room temperature/lukewarm where you can pick it up safely. Place in the fridge, covered, until needed. VOILA!!!
Use this butter as it calls for in your buttercream and experience the magic! Make sure to scrape the browned bits that will settle on the bottom of the bowl. Those are where all the flavor is.
Below, you can scroll through the stages referenced above in the slider.