Beurre Noisette

Beurre Noisette is a French term for butter that has been browned by melting the butter. As the milk solids cook and turn a golden brown colour the butter browns and a beautiful nutty aroma develops. The flavour is delicate and exquisite. You can choose to use the golden brown flecks depending on what you are making. The first time I made this I was unsure if i should include the specs or not and the recipe did not say. This is a personal preference, the flavour is delightful from the specs so I tend to include them... The choice is yours.

  1. Place the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and stir gently.
  2. The melted butter will begin to sputter, as the milk solids begin to cook, this will stop keep stirring - wear an apron!
  3. The butter will begin to foam, you will smell a beautiful nutty like fragrance and you will notice beautiful specs starting to appear with in the saucepan under the foam.
  4. Once the specs turn golden brown, pour into another dish to cool down, as the solids in the base of the saucepan will continue to brown and potentially burn.
  5. Be cautious not to burn the ‘beurre noissete’ as this will spoil the flavour.

Top Tips

  • If the specs turn a dark brown, start again as the flavour will have been spoilt.
  • I avoid using a sieve to remove the specs (I imagine it would be a nightmare to clean). Should I not want to include the specs, I simply leave them to rest and settle in the base of the bowl. Then using a spoon I remove the excess butter. 
  • Once the saucepan has cooled down, you can remove the excess residue with hot soapy water.
  • The 2 last images to the left are from a different Beurre Noisette, I used the excess butter and refrigerated the remaining golden brown milk solids. By gently warming the butter you will find it easier to work the milk solids (specks) back into your batter.

I love the golden brown specs, they hold so much flavour, they also add texture and change the aesthetics of the cake crumb leaving almost a speckled look.