Butter, a regular but important ingredient in baking is our topic for this week’s article. 

Q: Hi Jun Jun and Adoree, I always burn my butter when I melt it.  At times, even during cooking, I also burn it. Why does it burn faster than regular oil? What’s the proper method of melting? (Paula of Angeles City)

Jun Jun: Butter has a lower burning point than most vegetables oils. When used for cooking, one should guard it from burning; making sure that the heat of the range is not very high. When needed in baking, just melt your butter at very low heat or use the microwave, it takes around 30 to 45 seconds to melt completely. 

Adoree: Butter burns fast because it has a lower smoke point compared to other forms of fat. To melt the butter, put the butter on a pan then heat it at low heat until melted. You have to watch it closely and do not walk away from it. Do not heat up the pan before putting the butter; you will surely end up burning the butter.

Q: Can I substitute melted butter for firm butter in some cake recipes? I only have a hand mixer and I’m still saving up for a Kitchen Aid so I can’t do the creaming part between the butter and sugar. Let me know your comments (Bam of Paranaque City)

Jun Jun: Not really, melted butter is generally used for most fruit-based coffee cakes that can be done with simple mixing. I know that butter cakes must always start with the creaming method so that air is incorporated into the mixture, giving it a softer and moister crumb. Don’t replace something just because you feel like it, just follow the recipe. And Bam, you can cream using your hand mixer, so don’t be worried that you don’t have a standing mixer. 

Adoree: No, you cannot substitute melted butter for chilled butter. If a recipe calls for creaming of the butter, it has to be done. The process will make your cake fluffier and the crumbs will be finer. Using melted butter will not give you the same results.  A hand mixer can be used for creaming the butter; it will just take you a little longer as compared to using a Kitchen Aid mixer.
Q: I have been making cream puffs for over five years already, selling it to friends, family and taking orders from strangers.  I just thought of something the other day. Why can’t I use melted butter in the recipe so that melting it with the water, which is essential to making a cream puff, doesn’t take that long? Thanks and we love your articles. (Marnie of San Juan)

Jun Jun: That’s a great question, I haven’t experimented on it yet but I will. The cream puff which is a pate a choux is a classic recipe with techniques that has been done for a long time. When the traditional method is not done, classically, it is no longer is a pate a choux. However, to be practical, why do you have to do a double procedure when you can achieve the same thing using the traditional method? Some water content evaporates during the process of melting the butter, so changes in the final product may happen if the butter is initially melted.   

Adoree: Marnie, even if you use melted butter, you still have to heat up the water. So, just heat the water together with the butter to melt it; this saves you time as well as an additional pan to wash afterwards.

Q: What’s burnt butter? I always see it now in menus and even some recipes. Is this a new technique or method for frying butter? (Lourdes of Mandaluyong)

Jun Jun: Hi Lourdes, thanks for your letter. Burnt butter is beurre noisette in French and means hazelnut butter. French chefs invented this; it is done by burning butter until it gets a nutty flavor. Now, it is used by a lot of people for their sauces, cakes and some desserts to enhance the flavor of nuts. I always do this in a small saucepan and continuously swirl the butter it is a light brown color.  Then, get a spoon (make sure to blow so that you don’t burn your tongue) and taste. I enjoy this with my fish or in my cheesecake crust. 

Adoree: Lourdes, maybe you meant brown butter. Brown butter is different from burnt butter; brown butter has a nice nutty flavor and the bits that form is color brown. There is a very thin line between brown butter and burnt butter. When melting butter, wait for the sizzling sound to tone down; at this point you have created brown butter. Cooking it further will burn the butter and will give you black bits that taste bitter.

Q: How do I clarify butter? Is this really essential when making baklava? (Stella of Quezon City)

Jun Jun: Stella, to clarify butter, melt it in a sauce pan or in the microwave, let it rest for 15 minutes until all the milk solids sink to the bottom and a film develops on top. Remove the film and carefully pour the liquid but make sure to not include the milk solids since this is the component that makes butter burn fast. This step is a bit important when making baklava since regular butter will make your baklava turn brown excessively, making it look burnt. Also, make sure to use unsalted butter since the phyllo or fillo pastry is very salty. 

Adoree: Clarified butter is essential in making baklava. To prepare clarified butter, melt the butter then set it aside for a few minutes. After resting it, stain the liquid part leaving behind the white bits; these are milk solids. Just use the clear part of the liquid.

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