Everything is better with butter—and yes, we really do mean everything. From cookies to pie crusts to macaroni and cheese to sautéed vegetables, butter takes the sweet and the savory to an entirely new (and entirely better) level. But what are the best ways to cook, bake, and be brilliant in the kitchen while using this completely necessary—and completely delicious—refrigerator ingredient? We’ve partnered with Land O’Lakes to curate the best seven tips for using butter better. Read on for our best advice and ideas.
1. Use Softened Butter For Baking–Unless You’re Making A Crust.
Don’t even think about taking out those baking sheets unless you have butter on hand—and lots of it. Most recipes call for softened butter, and that’s because creaming—blending together butter and sugar—is an elemental part of the baking process. There is one notable exception, however, and that’s when it comes to the all-important pie crust. For a tender, flaky crust, use cubed, ice-cold Land O Lakes® Butter, and handle the dough as little as possible. This helps prevent the gluten in the dough from over-developing, which keeps your bakes from turning out tough.
2. When Sautéeing, Watch The Heat.
Butter is an excellent fat to use in a sauté because it imparts a rich, savory flavor to proteins and vegetables. If you’re cooking with butter, though, remember that its smoke point—the temperature at which it can begin to burn—is relatively low compared to oils like canola, grapeseed, and even olive. The milk solids naturally appearing in butter can separate and turn into brown butter quickly, and the best way to prevent this from happening is to keep the temperature on the lower side. Monitor the heat during your sauté, and you’re good to go.
3. Brown Your Butter To Change The Flavor Profile Of Any Dish.
Of course, sometimes brown butter is a good thing. It creates a nutty, bold flavor so rich the French call it beurre noisette, or hazelnut butter. If you like that brown butter flavor, it can transform your favorite dessert or savory dish into a next-level triumph. Butter browns easily; swirl it over low-to-medium heat until the milk solids have turned caramel in color and it gives off a toasty, nutty smell. Then, turn off the heat immediately, because the butter can begin to burn if you let it go too far.
Brown butter can be used in place of melted butter to deepen the flavor in cake and cookie recipes. It also adds richness to sauces for fish or other proteins, pasta, and all types of vegetables. Try it over asparagus, along with a quick squeeze of lemon, for an outrageously delicious play on a classic Béarnaise (also made with butter, for what it’s worth).
4. Add A Pat At The End For Extra Richness.
Seeking a complex end to a savory dish? Try a swirl of Land O Lakes® Butter. Turn the burner off, and then swirl in a pat or two to finish off saucy dishes like chicken Marsala, linguine with clams, and even macaroni and cheese. (Make sure the heat is off when you do this, so that your butter doesn’t break.) A culinary secret weapon, the butter will not only help hold the sauce together and make it look glossy and perfect, but it will also give the dish just a little boost—the richness you didn’t know you needed. Friends and family may ask what your secret is, but you don’t ever have to tell.
5. Add Butter To Low-Dairy Dishes To Up The Flavor And Texture.
A famous cookbook author’s world-class tomato sauce only included three ingredients: tomatoes, onions, and butter. That last one really brings the party together. That’s because tomato sauce, a low-dairy (and low-fat) dish can often be watery and forgettable. For recipes that don’t have much dairy, a little Land O Lakes® Butter can go a long way. Add a tablespoon or two to tomato-based sauces and soups (use butter instead of olive oil to sauté the veggies in your next minestrone, for instance) and you’ll find the result is much more satisfying and delicious, with more depth of flavor than you ever could have imagined.
6. Use Melted Butter for Chewier Cookies.
If you’re the type who prefers chewy cookies to crispy ones, melted butter is the hack for you. When liquid, butter mixes more easily with sugar and flour, offering up a dough that is softer and more glutinous. That dough, in turn, will yield chewier cookies when baked. Butter melts easily in the microwave, or on the stovetop. If you’re doing the former, try ten-second intervals, to avoid burning. On the stove, go low and slow and make sure to keep your eye on it.
7. Need to Thicken Something? Butter’s Here to Help.
You may already be familiar with the term “roux,” the magical mixture of butter and flour that can thicken even the most stubborn of not-quite-gravies. Equal parts flour and butter, a roux will thicken anything from a stock that’s on its way to becoming a gravy to a milk that’s becoming the Béchamel base for tonight’s mac and cheese; and it’s the basis of many Cajun dishes including jambalaya, gumbo, and étouffée.
To make a roux, melt your Land O Lakes® Butter quickly first and sprinkle in the flour, whisking them together as you add; it will instantly come together in a thick paste. For light-colored sauces, instantly pour the liquid in, whisking as you go. For deep soups, like gumbos, that require dark flavors, cook the roux longer, so that it acquires a brown hue.
