Barely Brown Butter Cake

I think maybe I've found the easiest recipe from the Milk Bar cookbook in this brown butter cake! I mean, you don't have to make anything ahead! What?! Madness! No but seriously, this is definitely one of the easiest recipes I've made from the book thus far. From starting to eating, it's only about 1-1 1/2 hours or so. You can't beat that!

The BF was concerned he wouldn't like it, as some of the things I've made from the cookbook have been a little too sweet for him (for example, the corn cookies I would only make if you have a kitchen scale, because I made them one time just using the cups and teaspoons, and they tasted much sweeter). However, while it is still sweet, being a cake and all, it isn't too sweet. And what's really interesting is the use of the kosher salt. It gives you these nice little kicks of salt every now and then that cut the sweetness down. That may sound strange, but it totally isn't in practice.

Though Christina notes in the book that you can brown your butter in the microwave, I admit I just did it the old-fashioned way on the stove. And can you beat the smell of brown butter? My goodness, no! Why does it smell so amazing?

The cake comes out light while also slightly dense. She calls for using a quarter sheet pan to bake it in, but also noted that if you didn't mix things juuuuust right, then it could bake over the edges or something! I was like hot dang, I don't want that, and a 9x13 pan is basically the same size as a quarter sheet pan, so I just did that instead. And it turned out great! It baked in exactly 30 minutes, the minimum recommended time she has below. So I would say just go with the 9x13 so you don't have to worry, the edges are taller so it's less likely to go crazy in the oven for some reason.

Definitely recommend this one! It's easy and delicious. Like, seriously, is there an easier recipe in this cookbook? Doesn't seem like it!

Barely Brown Butter Cake
Author: Jen @ Fresh From The…
Servings: 18 Pieces
Prep time: 00:15

Cook time: 00:35

Total time: 00:50

Christina Tosi’s Barely Brown Butter Cake from the Milk Bar Cookbook.

Ingredients:

• 55 g (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 40 g (2 Tbsp) brown butter
• 250 g (1 1/4 cups) granulated sugar
• 60 g (1/4 cup packed) light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 110 g (1/2 cup) buttermilk
• 65g g (1/3 cup) grapeseed oil
• 2 g (1/2 tsp) vanilla extract)
• 185 g (1 1/2 cups) cake flour
• 4 g (1 tsp) baking powder
• 4 g (1 tsp) kosher salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine the butters and sugars in your stand mixer, and mix on medium-high for 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs, mixing again for 2-3 minutes. Scrape down that bowl once again.
3. Stream in the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla while the paddle is on low speed. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 5-6 minutes, until the mixture is white and homogenous.
4. On low speed, add in the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix for 45-60 seconds, until the batter comes together and all dry ingredients have been incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl one last time and mix for another 45 seconds to make sure any lumps of flour are incorporated.
5. Spray a 9x13 pan. Spread the cake batter evenly in the pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. At 30 minutes, gently poke the edge of the cake with your finger, it should bounce back slightly and the center shouldn't be jiggly. If it doesn't do that, leave it in for another 3-5 minutes.
6. Cool the cake on a wire rack, or if you have to, in the fridge or freezer.

Recipe from Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook

Baked Banana Donuts with Brown Butter Glaze

I know what you're thinking - another banana recipe? Apparently I can't stop myself lately. I confess, it's become something of a tradition now to make these banana pancakes on Sundays, and generally I eat a banana a day, so I usually have some fast ripening bananas around. This time, I decided to go down the baked donut route. How can that go wrong? 

Answer: it can't.

You may notice a slight difference between the above picture and the very top picture. That's because the very top was taken right after I put the glaze on, while the above was taken the next morning, so some of the glaze sank into the actual donut. It's better when they're fresh. Though they're not bad or anything after a night, the glaze is seriously amazing when it's fresh. OMG I could just eat the glaze by itself.

I mean, come on! Brown butter glaze? Hell to the yes!

One thing I will warn you about - these are sweet. So, if you're looking for something not quite so sweet, then, well, maybe these aren't quite for you. But if you are? I don't think you'll regret making these. And as a bonus, they're super easy to make.

Baked Banana Donuts with Brown Butter Glaze
Author: Jen @ Fresh From The…
Servings: 1 Dozen Donuts
Prep time: 00:10

Cook time: 00:10

Total time: 00:20

Simple baked donuts with a delicious glaze that you could eat with a spoon, if only you didn’t feel super guilty afterward.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 ripe banana, mashed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/2 Tablespoon melted unsalted butter
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. If your donut pan is not non-stick, lightly grease it.</ li>

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add in the buttermilk, banana, egg, vanilla and butter and mix until just combined.
3. Spoon the mixture into your donut pan. They should be about 3/4 full.
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes until baked through. They should spring back when lightly pushed. Rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.
5. To make the glaze, brown your butter (heat over low heat for about 6-8 minutes). Remove from heat and whisk in the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla.
6. Dunk your completely cooled donuts in the warm glaze, then place back on your rack to let them set. I put some paper towels underneath so they wouldn't drip everywhere.

Recipe via Rumbly Tumbly

Brown Butter Cashew Shortbread

As soon as I said the name of this recipe out loud, my boyfriend said something like "that sounds amazing." And I have to agree, anything that has brown butter in cashews in it sounds pretty dang awesome. He is also a big fan of shortbread in general, and has been eating cashews with abandon lately. So is the recipe a winner?

Well, the glaze ended up being more like frosting than a typical glaze when I made these, as I only had heavy cream rather than milk. You would think that wouldn't make much of a difference, but as you can see, it was pretty thick! And, pro tip - adding water will not help matters! It won't incorporate and will just make the glaze stuff a bit weird. So, yes, milk. Get milk.

The shortbread itself is pretty crumbly, and a very simple recipe, as you can see below. Normally I would say shortbread on its own can be pretty good, but in this case I would say the frosting is actually really needed here. It adds some needed sweetness to an otherwise very pie-dough type shortbread. The frosting on its own seems way too overpowering, but the two together work quite nicely.

I apologize for the pictures not being hugely amazing. Been having some camera difficulties lately and was trying a different lense, which wouldn't zoom in quite so close as I am used to. I also was just not feeling up to going full-on food prettifier. Not that I'm the best at that in the first place, but oh well! Hope you enjoy anyway!

Brown Butter Cashew Shortbread

Prep time: 20 minutes, plus 1 hour for chilling
Cook time: 25 minutes
Yield: 24 bars
Ingredients

• 2/3 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 Tablespoons milk
• 2 Tablespoons finely chopped toasted cashews

Cooking Directions

1. Line an 8x8 inch pan with foil, extending the foil over the edges (makes it easier to pull it out later). In a medium saucepan, brown the butter. Remove from heat, and cool slightly. Set aside 2 tablespoons for later. Stir in vanilla into the remaining browned butter. Chill that for at least an hour until firm (easiest in the freezer).
2. Preheat oven to 325F. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and brown sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in the chilled brown butter until it resembles fine crumbs. Press the dough firmly into the bottom of the prepared 8x8 pan. It will be pretty dry but the butter bits will expand as it bakes, don't worry.
3. Bake for about 25 minutes until the shortbread is firm but not brown. Immediately lift the bars out of the pan using the foil, then cut them into bars. Transfer the bars on the foil onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4. For the icing, stir together the 2 tablespoons of brown butter you saved from earlier (best if it is melted), the powdered sugar, and enough of the milk to make it more of a glaze. Drizzle that over the cooled shortbread, then sprinkle with cashews. Enjoy!

Recipe via Better Homes and Gardens: The Ultimate Cookie Book

Brown Butter Baked Donuts

So what's the deal here? Am I supposed to call them donuts or doughnuts? I'm left in a conundrum. It seems like it can be either way! I'm going donuts, just because that is how I have always and forever done it. Ok then.

Donuts!

Yes. Baked donuts are a thing right now. They've become such a thing, that even though it seemed silly to get a donut pan, I put one on my Christmas list anyway. These are the first donuts in what I'm sure will be many varieties. They're a pretty basic version with some browned butter and just a regular ole glaze. Nothing too fancy here, because sometimes all you really want is a plain donut.

In the original recipe, there was a whole lot of nutmeg going on. Now don't get me wrong, nutmeg is a perfectly decent spice, but too much of it can be super overwhelming. Also, it seems a bit weird in a donut unless you're going totally holiday-themed. So I'm recommending NO nutmeg. I mean, add a pinch if you really like the stuff, but otherwise, these don't need them.

Brown Butter Baked Donuts

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, browned
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• FOR THE GLAZE:
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 2-4 Tablespoons water or milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cooking Directions

1. Place one of your oven racks in the upper third and preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease your donut pan and set aside for now.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together your flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Set that aside for the moment.
3. Brown your butter. Basically you melt your butter over medium-high heat until it starts turning brown and gives off that lovely nutty aroma. It changes pretty quickly, so keep your eye on it. Put that aside to cool a little.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together your egg, buttermilk and vanilla, then add in your browned butter and whisk some more.
5. Add those wet ingredients to your dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Dollop the dough into your prepared pan, about 3/4 full of batter per donut.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes. You can insert a toothpick or testing device to make sure that they are cooked through, as the tops do not really brown. Let them cool in the pan a little before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Now, make your glaze. Whisk together your sugar, milk/water and vanilla until you get the consistency you like. When your donuts are cool, dip them with the top side down into the glaze. You can sprinkle with toppings at this point or dip both sides to get more of a completely glazed donut thing going on. Set for 30 minutes and eat within two days before they go stale.

(Adapted from Joy the Baker)

In Pictures:

Whisk together your flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.

Brown your butter. Marvel in the delicious smell.

Whisk together the butter, egg, buttermilk and vanilla.

Mix your wet with your dry. Love the brown better specks.

Dollop into your donut pan and bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes.

While they're baking, whip up your glaze. Some powdered sugar, milk and vanilla do the trick.

The tops don't brown or anything, so be careful not to overcook. These are also mostly a little overfull.

Let them cool in the pan a little, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Then dip in your glaze. You can just dip one side, or dip both if you want it fully glazed. Let those sit for 30 minutes if you can before chomping down!

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have a problem. A chocolate chip cookie problem.

No matter how many I make, I will always try a new recipe, even if there's one that I really like already. Why? I don't know. I mean, just let me list off the various ones I have tried (and enjoyed!): Jacque Torres, Molasses, Soft & Chewy, Otis Spunkmeyer style... I'm nuts! Except no, because I never put nuts in my chocolate chip cookies. Sacrilege! 

All I know is that I saw this recipe for browned butter chocolate chip cookies, and knew I had to try it. Browning butter is probably one of my favorite scents in existence. You can't argue with me on this one, you just can't. Them's the rules.

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 sticks plus 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon molasses
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cooking Directions

1. Brown 1 stick plus 1 Tbsp butter in a medium saucepan. When it's to that brown color, quickly dump it into another bowl to stop the cooking (you don't want it to burn!) and set it aside for the moment. Be sure to get all those browned bits, though, they are yum.
2. In your mixer, beat together the granulated sugar and the other stick of softened butter until they are light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the molasses and vanilla and mix until combined, then add in the brown sugar and the cooled browned butter, beating for about two minutes to combine.
3. Next, beat in your egg and egg yolk for about a minute. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda, then dump that in your wet ingredients and slowly mix together. Once they're just combined, fold in the chocolate chips. If you want, add in nuts at this point, but I don't do that nonsense. Now, please, for the love of cheese puffs, stick this in the fridge for 30 minutes. You won't regret it.
4. While that's in the fridge, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, get your rack in the center of the oven. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper. After the 30 minutes are up, scoop out some dough onto your baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes until edges are light brown, but the middle still a little light. Let those sit on the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely, or just shove straight into your gullet, whatever you so desire.

Recipe via Joy the Baker Cookbook

In photos:

Brown 1 stick plus 1 Tbsp unsalted butter. You do this over medium heat. It foams and pops and there will probably be some bits on the bottom of the pan when its done. Remove this to a bowl to cool while you start the rest.

Beat together the other stick of butter and the cup of sugar for 3-5 minutes until it's fluffy.

Add in the vanilla and the molasses.

Then add in your brown sugar and that cooled browned butter, with all the browned little bits!

Next up: the egg and egg yolk.

In a separate bowl, whisk together your flour, salt and baking soda, then add that all at once to the wet dough. Mix it slowly until just incorporated.

Fold in your chocolate chips, then stick that baby in the fridge for 30 minutes. While that's in the fridge, preheat your oven to 375F, and put some parchment on your pan.

Scoop out the dough onto your parchment-lined pan, and bake for 12-14 minutes until they look golden brown around the edges and still a little light in the middle. Let them sit for 5 minutes before you put them on a cooling rack or gobble them up direct from the pan. These have a crisp edge to them. They're not as soft as I generally like my chocolate chip cookies, personally, but the browned butter does give it a nice, slightly nutty, zing. It also seems to make them taste a tad saltier to me, so I suggested you use 1/2 tsp salt rather than a full teaspoon. Unless you like salty, then by all means go full teaspoon power!

Browned Butter Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats

Browned butter. Peanut butter. Rice Krispies. A match made in food heaven, for sure.

Because if you can't like these, I'm not sure what's wrong with you. Oh, you're allergic to nuts? Well, fine. Then you can just make these without the peanut butter, like I've done in the past, and they'll still be perfectly yummy.

But if I had to choose? I'd probably pick the peanut butter version. Because I'm kind of in love with peanut butter. And there's nothing wrong with that. Nope!

Also? Rice krispy treats are really just one of the easiest things to make around. For real. If you need a quick little something to take on a picnic, for example, these would be easy and yummy. And easy in the kitchen is everyone's favorite.

Browned Butter Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (10.5 ounce) package mini marshmallows
• 6 cups (about a half box) rice krispy cereal

Cooking Directions

1. Brown the butter in a large saucepan. If you've never browned butter before, it's pretty easy. Melt it in the saucepan on medium heat until it starts to foam up, it will eventually calm down and start to throw a nutty aroma up at your face. Once it's doing that, add in your peanut butter, salt, and marshmallows and stir them around and around and around until they're all melted into a nice smooth gooeyness.
2. Turn off the heat and add in your rice krispies, mixing around with a wooden spoon until they are well coated in the peanut butter marshmallows. Dump that into a buttered 8 x8 inch pan and press down with some butter or cooking-spray soaked fingers.
3. Let them set up for a bit, then cut 'em up into some bars and enjoy!

Recipe via Joy the Baker cookbook

As you can see, they fill up that 8x8 pan to the brim! If you want thinner krispies, you can always use a larger pan.

The peanut butter is just the right amount in these. Not overwhelming, but with just the right amount of "hey, that's peanut butter!"

Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

I had meant to post this a while ago. You know, when I actually made them. But then there was this thing called Thanksgiving that happened, and I plum forgot. How very rude of me! Or, maybe I didn't forget, but with the plethora of Thanksgiving-style recipes going on around the web, I thought these would get lost.

And they shouldn't. Because look!

Right? Rice Krispies, marshmallows, browned butter, salt. Where can you go wrong? You really can't. Unless you burn your butter instead of brown it, which is just a sad state of affairs if so.

But, yes. Rice Krispie Treats are good all the year round. Why?

Because they are super duper easy peasy. These are just slightly more fancy than your regular rice krispie treat recipe you find on the box. I will say that I'm not sure I would make these in the same small pan again. I like my treats a little thinner. Mostly because I have a tiny mouth, so it's nearly impossible for me to fully bite into these.

But hey, if you have a big mouth? Go to it!

Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Ingredients

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 10 ounce bag mini marshmallows
• Heaping 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (about half a 12 ounce box)

Cooking Directions

1. Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan. If you want thinner treats, use a larger pan.
2. In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden, and finally start to brown and smell deliciously nutty. Stir frequently and don't take your eyes off the pot. There's a small window between brown and burnt, and you don't want burnt.
3. As soon as the butter takes on a nutty brownish color, turn that heat off and stir in the marshmallows. They should be able to melt just from the butter's heat, but if not, you can turn the stove back on to low to get it all melty and smooth.
4. Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the salt and cereal together. Quickly spread into prepared pan. Pat down with a non-stick spoon/spatula/whatever you like. Or you can also do some oiled wax paper if you want, but that requires using a whole other thing, so... you know I don't bother!
5. Let cool, cut into squares and devour!

Recipe via Smitten Kitchen

In Photos:

Browned butter and marshmallows getting ready to melt. No photos of the butter browning as you cannot see it in a black pan and you don't want it to burn while trying to get a good photo!

 Oooh melty.

Add in the rice krispies and salt.

Press into the prepared pan. It goes right to the top!

After they've cooled, cut 'em up and enjoy!