Everything You Need To Know About Using Butter

Everything You Need To Know About Using Butter

Butter is an amazing ingredient. There are plenty of different kinds of fat used for cooking, but none are as amazing as butter. That’s why we want you to use it like a pro. Here’s how you can do just that:

1 Learn to soften your butter quickly.

When a recipe calls for softened butter, sometimes, it can set us back when following a recipe. It can take some time to soften butter which may not be ideal if all your other ingredients are already at the right temperature.

To soften butter in record time, you can do three things: Microwave cubed butter on high in spurts of ten seconds. You can also grate butter which also makes it perfectly spreadable on toast. The last trick is to heat up up a glass or bowl with hot water, dry out the inside, and then place it over cubed butter. The glass container’s heat will slowly transfer to the butter just right.

2 Get imaginative when flavoring butter.

The sky is the limit when flavoring your butter. You can chop up herbs, spices, seasoning, and mix it with softened butter. You can also just dump your butter and flavorings in a food processor and give it a whir. It’s best to let your butter sit in the refrigerator for some time after to let the butter absorb all those flavors.

3 Master measuring butter.

The best way to measure your butter, especially when you’re baking big amounts, is to use a digital weighing scale. For everyday use though, use a whole bar of butter as your reference guide for a cup. Half the bar and you’ll get 1/2 cup, a quarter yields a quarter cup, and so on.

4 Sometimes, you need to freeze butter.

Sometimes, the colder the butter, the better. That’s the case for when you’re trying to make a delicious flaky pastry. You need the small pieces of butter to remain solid and cold right until it melts rapidly in the oven to make those flaky layers.

Another reason to freeze butter? It will help it last longer. If you want to store butter, place it in the freezer.

5 Melt butter gently.

Cube your butter to melt it more quickly. Move it around in the pan so it doesn’t burn. Don’t melt it over high heat since butter can burn easily.

6 Make soup extra smooth and glossy.

Melting in a cube of cold butter in soup or ganache can add gloss and flavor!

7 Use butter for roast chicken and chicken breasts.

Using flavored butter chopped into tiny pieces lets you insert it in between the chicken’s skin and the meat. As it cooks, the butter melts into the chicken. What could be better? For chicken breasts, this is a good way to introduce fat and flavor.

8 Saute with butter.

The perfect time to add your ingredients in melted butter is right after it stops foaming. This means that the butter is hot enough. Don’t wait for too long though, as it will still be able to reach its smoke point.

9 Learn to clarify butter.

Have you ever come across clarified butter? It’s something you can easily make at home! This kind of butter doesn’t burn quickly and lasts longer.

10 Make brown butter (it’s a magic ingredient!).

Brown butter isn’t just amazing in baked goods, you can also use it on toast! This adds a nutty flavor that comes from the toasted milk solids of butter. Simply melt your butter gently on the lowest heat until the solids turn brown. Then immediately take it off the heat, and transfer to another container to cool. Doing this will take some time, and you have to be careful not to burn your butter. Refrigerate if you want it to solidify again if using for toast or even for baking chocolate chip cookies.