Brush Biscuits With This Simple Butter Upgrade For A Rich, Toasty Flavor

A hot, fresh-from-the-oven biscuit is the perfect partner for a sugary jam or a warm pat of butter. But if you're looking for an easy way to make biscuits extra delicious, brush them with brown butter. With its rich, nutty flavor, brown butter pairs well with lots of different foods, but brushing it on a biscuit turns a meal staple into something special.

Brown butter is made by cooking butter in a pan until its milk solids turn golden brown, giving it a nutty aroma and flavor. What results is an amber-like liquid speckled with toasted brown bits that makes perfectly browned biscuits even more golden. Its toasty flavor makes it a good pairing with honey, jam, or preserves — sort of a sweet and savory combo atop a halved biscuit.

As delicious as brown butter can be on top of biscuits, it also works well as an ingredient in biscuit mix. In many recipes, butter is browned and then chilled first. During the dough-making process, the cold butter is slowly incorporated with the other ingredients. The extra steps ultimately make biscuits with a deeper flavor profile, thanks to the earthy flavor of the brown butter.

Brown butter's flavor also works well for savory biscuits. Herbs like sage, rosemary, and thyme are full of flavor and very aromatic, so pairing them with brown butter in a dough results in toasted, buttery biscuits with very distinct smells and complementary flavors. If other savory flavors like cheddar biscuits are more your style, a brush of brown butter can enhance the flavor of those too.

Brown butter isn't just a secret weapon for awesome biscuits; it can also change the way you make homemade desserts. Its toasted flavor can instantly add another layer of flavor, acting as a complement to sweet flavors like sugar, vanilla, chocolate, or fruit. In many recipes, it's one of the first steps, and taking a few extra minutes to brown butter can make all the difference for a pan of brownies or cookies. If you don't want to stray from the main recipe, you can also make brown butter frosting, which turns out toasty but not too sweet — perfect for topping cupcakes or even a fresh loaf of banana bread.

Small changes in recipes can sometimes make the biggest difference, and brown butter is a perfect example.  All it takes is a stick of butter, a warm pan, and a little patience. It's easy to make, adds richness to all kinds of recipes, and can turn familiar favorites into something you may never eat the same way again.