Do you want to know how to brown butter but don't know where to start? Does seeing it in a recipe put you off making it? I get it, I felt the same way before I gave it a go but it is so much simpler than you think. The bonus is, it really does add a beautiful depth of flavour to so many recipes. So join me as we look at the different stages it goes through and how to spot the desired, final result.
There are simple steps that make it super easy to brown butter and the recipe below guides you through each phase. After a couple of times you will browning butter with your eyes closed.
The first recipe I created using pata parauri (brown butter) were my Brown butter Chocolate Chip Cookies and Gooey Cookie Pies. The base of these pihikete (biscuits) are exactly the same but with slightly different outcomes. Start by browning the pata (butter), cool for ten minutes and then add the remaining ingredients in to it. The subtle savoury note it gives to the pihikete (biscuits) is so worth that little bit of effort.
How to brown butter in Vanilla Cupcakes:
These Vanilla Cupcakes also use the same technique. Simply brown the pata (butter) and cool for ten minutes and that is it. Although kapukeke wanira (vanilla cupcakes) are simple, they pack the most divine flavour. Add rahipere (raspberries) for a pop of freshness or tiakarete parauri (dark chocolate) for a richer flavour. Or do what I did and take them from simple to Snickers cupcakes with karamea (caramel) and pani reka kirīmi tīhi (cream cheese frosting). The options are endless.
Next, take a look at these Lemon, Raspberry & White Chocolate Biscuits. The process for these pihikete (biscuits) begin with browning butter. However, chill it afterwards and whip in to fluffy goodness. This create a pihikete (biscuit) with the lightness of a whipped cookie but with a savoury undertone. Combine it with rēmana (lemon), tiakarete ma (white chocolate) and rahipere (raspberries) and you have yourself a flavour explosion.
There are more details on the whipped version on this post, Whipped Brown Butter.
Videography and photography taken by Sarah Henderson.
Brown Butter - Pata Parauri
Ingredients
Brown Butter - Pata Parauri
- Pata (butter, I always prefer using salted for brown butter)
Instructions
- Add the chopped pata (butter) in to a medium sized pot or pan. Set over medium heat. It is time to brown the butter which goes through a series of stages.
- First it will melt, then the milk fats will start to separate - these are the white, floaty bits. Stir occasionally here so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. Keep it on the heat and eventually the butter will start to foam.
- Stir it a little bit and allow the brown bits to float to the top. It should smell nutty. (Use the pictures and video as a guide). From here, stir it a little for another 30 seconds or so, so the butter browns further.
- Remove from the heat. Some recipes will leave the pata parauri (brown butter) just as it is like this, like my Brown butter Chocolate Chip Cookies and Gooey Cookie Pies recipes. Other recipes will cool the pata parauri (brown butter) and will cool it down over ice, this can be used as a spread for toast or it can be whipped again for other recipes.
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