Martha Stewart Brown-Butter Glaze

Martha Stewart Brown-Butter Glaze is a silky, nutty vanilla icing with just four ingredients, butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and milk, that comes together in 15 minutes. It's an easy few ingredients topping for cupcakes, pound cake or holiday baking, and it's a simple stovetop side dish for any dessert table.

Brown the butter until it turns golden and smells nutty, then pour it off the sediment so only the clear browned butter goes in the bowl. Leave the burnt specks in and the glaze tastes bitter instead of toasty.

Martha toasts the butter to a deep golden color before any sugar goes in, so the glaze tastes like caramel and toasted nuts instead of plain sweetness. She also stirs in the milk a little at a time, which lets you set the thickness yourself.

Martha Stewart Brown-Butter Glaze

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Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Calories

170

kcal

Browned butter, vanilla and confectioners' sugar whisk into a smooth, pourable glaze that sets into a soft, glossy coat. Because you add the milk slowly, you can make it thick for drizzling or thin for dipping.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
  

• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
  

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  

• 2 to 4 tablespoons whole milk
  

Directions

• Brown the butter: Heat 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it turns golden brown, about 10 minutes. Watch it closely near the end, since it can go from nutty to burnt fast.
• Pour off the sediment: Carefully pour the browned butter into a bowl, leaving the dark sediment behind in the pan. That way the glaze stays smooth and tastes toasty instead of bitter.
• Mix the glaze: Add 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons whole milk to the butter. Stir until the glaze looks smooth and glossy.
• Adjust and use: If the glaze is too thick, stir in more milk, up to 2 tablespoons extra, until it flows off the spoon. Use it immediately, because it stiffens as it cools.

Tools for this recipe

• Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 3-quart saucepan, OXO 11-inch balloon whisk, Cuisinart fine mesh strainer set, Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract, 8 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I make brown-butter glaze ahead of time?

It works best used right away, because the glaze stiffens as it cools. If you need to make it early, keep it covered at room temperature. Then warm it gently over a pan of hot water, stirring in a splash of milk until it loosens.

How do I know when the butter is browned enough?

Look for a golden brown color with a nutty smell, which takes about 10 minutes over medium heat. The milk solids at the bottom turn dark brown, and once the foam settles and the butter smells toasty, take it off the heat.

What can I use instead of whole milk?

Half-and-half gives a richer, creamier glaze, and 2% milk works fine too. Add it a tablespoon at a time so you don't thin the glaze too much.

Can I use a hand mixer or whisk instead of a spoon?

A whisk works well and breaks up any small sugar lumps quickly. A hand mixer isn't needed, since the glaze is thin and comes together in under a minute by hand.

Why does my glaze taste bitter or look speckled?

The butter probably browned too far, or the dark sediment got poured in with it. Next time pour slowly and leave the specks in the pan, and pull the butter off the heat as soon as it turns golden.