How to Brown Butter
Have you ever made brown butter? Beurre noisette, as it’s called in French, is so incredibly easy to make and it imparts a wonderful, seductive flavor to both savory and sweet recipes. The butter, when browned, becomes so fragrant (nutty and sweet) your entire kitchen will smell absolutely wonderful. Mmmm, if I could bottle this scent I would. You will love the redolent aroma, too, once you make this yourself.
You can learn how to brown butter with this video from Nielsen-Massey.
My daughter went to stay with her cousins for the summer, so I was in need of some baking therapy. {I miss her so much.} Baking keeps my mind at ease. Wanting to use the new Ugandan Pure Vanilla Extract from Nielsen-Massey that I got over the weekend, I decided to marry brown butter and vanilla–with oh so sweet results. I couldn’t stop at one dessert. No, I made two, but two that can be combined for an outlandishly mouthwatering dessert.
Brown Butter Cardamom Cake
1/4 cup of butter
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 tablespoon of cardamom
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla (I used Ugandan Pure Vanilla Extract from Nielsen-Massey)
1 cup of Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons of oil (olive or vegetable, though I always use olive oil)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 81/2 X 4 1/4 inch loaf pan. Brown the butter in a saucepan according to the direction in this video. Set aside. Combine the flour, cardamom, baking powder, and salt. Stir with a fork. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar, eggs, vanilla and yogurt. Slowly stir the flour mixture into the yogurt mixture. Mix until combined then add the butter and olive oil. Bake for 50-55 minutes.
Top with icing, crushed pistachios, or anything else you might like. For icing, simply mix 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of cream and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla.
Brown Butter Bourbon Ice Cream
You’ll need an ice cream maker for this recipe. I recommend this one from Cuisinart.
1 stick of butter
2 cups of cream
1 cup of milk
1 cup of sugar (you can use regular granulated or brown for a richer flavor)
5 egg yolks
2 teaspoons of vanilla (I used Ugandan Vanilla from Nielsen-Massey)
2 tablespoons of bourbon
Brown the butter in a saucepan according to the direction in this video. Set aside. In another saucepan over low-medium heat, whisk 1 cup of cream with milk, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, then lower heat. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with vanilla and bourbon. With a spoon, stir the brown butter into the milk mixture, then add the eggs, slowly, stirring continuously. Add the vanilla and bourbon to 1 cup of cream, and stir, then add to the mixture. Stir until the custard thickens, making sure it does not boil. Remove from heat and let sit for about 10 minutes. Then cover and refrigerate for 4 or more hours. When you’re ready to make the ice cream, pour it into the base and churn for 20 minutes. Then freeze until ready to serve.
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Cooking Tip: Cardamom
You can buy cardamom in powder form, but I highly recommend buying the pods and grinding them yourself, if you have a spice grinder. I stopped by Two for the Pot in Brooklyn, which carries lots of teas and spices, and the owner ground a small amount for me. So aromatic, and a little goes a long way!
