Brown That Butter, Baby!
Browning the butter is a technique that can be one of your best buds in baking. As far as methods go that help ingredients pop, it is one that really takes the cake. Okay, no more baking puns, I promise.
Browning butter is not a particularly new method, and it does tack on a few extra minutes to recipes. But, it is a great way of adding that “secret ingredient effect” and boosting the ooos and ahhhs you get from your guests.
I am a firm believer that taking the time to brown the butter is worth a try. Let’s face it, our favourite desserts are usually not made with shortcuts, but with best practices, tried-and-true recipes and a whole lotta love.
Known as “buerre noissette” to the French, browning butter means gently cooking it past melting and to the point of starting to brown. It complements the brown sugar and delivers a golden, caramel-y flavour with notes of toffee. Oui, oui!
I’ve provided a few steps for browning butter below as well as a Browned Butter White Chocolate Blondies recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Browning Butter Steps:
Ensure your butter is cut into pieces in order to cook evenly. Remove it from refrigeration 20 minutes before browning, so that it doesn’t burn and splatter during cooking.
Keep the stove at medium heat and use a light coloured pan to see the colour turn. After the butter has melted and started to bubble a bit, cook for another 5-8 minutes stirring regularly, till you see it turn a golden colour and collect brown bits at the bottom (the milk solids browning).
Remove from the heat and give the pan a swirl. Pour into a heat-proof bowl, and be sure to scrape all the beautiful brown bits into the bowl. That gives you the wonderful nutty flavour.
Let it sit on the counter for about 25 minutes, or in the fridge for 15 min, before using in the recipe.
White Chocolate Blondies
Browned Butter White Chocolate Blondies
Ingredients:
3/4 cup (185g) butter
1 1/4 light brown sugar
1 egg & 1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbs sour cream
1 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbs cornflour (cornstarch)
1 1/2 tsp Cream of Tartare
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup white chocolate chips or white chocolate bar chunks (even better)
For dusting
2 Tbs caster sugar
1 1/2 Tsp cinnamon
Heat oven to 165 degrees Celsius. Butter or spray 8×8 in square pan with baking non-stick spray and lightly dust bottom and sides with flour.
Combine flour, cornflour, salt, Cream of Tartare, cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside.
Cream softened butter and brown sugar until well combined. Add egg and egg yolk one at a time, stirring after each egg addition. Stir in vanilla and sour cream.
Fold in dry ingredients and mix just until combined, do not over mix. Stir in white chocolate chips or chunks. Spoon dough into prepared pan and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture across the top. Bake for 20-25 min, when the top is golden and a knife or toothpick inserted comes out nearly clean (You want a few crumbs on it for that extra moist gooey-ness.)
Let them cool for half an hour, then cut into squares and enjoy!
