Yes, You Can Brown Butter In The Microwave. Here's How To Do It

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Brown butter is the secret to transforming basic recipes into gourmet creations. By simply browning the butter before you use it as an ingredient, you can add a rich, caramel-like flavor to both sweet and savory dishes. Cooking butter until it is browned but not burned requires all of your attention. This makes browning butter on the stove a delicate operation. For the easily distracted or impatient, there's another method. You can use your microwave to brown butter.

To brown butter in the microwave, place the butter in a microwave-safe dish with a lid or covering, though try to avoid microwaving plastic. It can melt into your butter or potentially leach chemicals onto it. For any amount less than a full stick, start by microwaving for 2 minutes and then proceed with cooking at 30-second intervals until it is browned. One stick or more may require anywhere from 3 1/2 to 6 1/2 minutes. Start with 3 minutes and use 30-second intervals from there. Add more time as needed to fully brown the butter. You'll know the butter is ready when it reaches a nice shade of amber and you can see brown flecks of solid milk floating in it. It will also smell incredible.

If you're new to using brown butter, try it next time you bake your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe or make sauce for veggies or pasta. Brown butter and sage with butternut squash is a perfect combination of nutty flavors. Keep in mind that brown butter gives dishes an intense flavor, so it won't mesh well in recipes that are meant to be light and mild. Luckily, this isn't the case with upgraded pancakes with brown butter or homemade banana bread.

You should note that when you swap regular butter for brown butter in a baking recipe, you must account for the moisture loss. This is because some of the water content of the butter evaporates during browning. You'll need to add water back in the browned butter once it cools. For every stick of butter, add one tablespoon of water. If it makes sense for the recipe, you can also use milk instead of water.