Brown Butter Will Change Your Life

Have you had brown butter? Did you know this culinary creation can CHANGE YOUR LIFE? Okay, it may not literally change your life, but it can take everything you cook or bake to the next level. All you need is butter, a saucepan, a whisk, and ten minutes. Are you ready to step your kitchen game up from dull to DYNOMITE?

I first heard of brown butter's magic after reading an essay from acclaimed food critic Jeffery Steingarten in which he sang its many praises for well over six pages. My initial reaction was to dismiss this as pretentious foodie nonsense; however, I changed my tune after I stepped out of my comfort zone and gave it a try. IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST BITE, Y'ALL.

You know the rich, nutty flavor notes that toffee has? BROWN BUTTER MAGIC IN ACTION. I'm serious. It is so, so good. I whipped up a batch yesterday and made pancakes for dinner. I served them to my man who informed me that the dish was so delicious that if he hadn't already pledged to love me forever, THIS would be the thing that sealed the deal.

Want to know how to make brown butter? It's so simple! Check out this detailed tutorial with pictures from Bakingdom for the specifics. You bring the butter to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk every 30 seconds. You'll notice the butter gets super frothy after a while, and that's okay. You're basically boiling the water out of the butter and toasting the fat solids. Once your melted butter takes on an amber color, it's done! Whisk a few more times after you've removed the saucepan from the stove top, as the carryover heat will continue its toasting magic. Pour into the container of your choice (I prefer glass--I reuse baby food jars) and BAM--brown butter.

Brown butter magic in action--the vanilla and brown butter pancakes I made last night. (Meg Summers, B101.7)

Now that you've got some bad brown butter, check out these decadent recipes this weekend. Bon Appetit, y'all.