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Cooking Tips and Tricks: How to Soften Butter Quickly

Updated on January 10, 2012

This scenario may sound familiar: you bustle around the kitchen, preparing appliances, bowls, utensils, and ingredients for the World's Most Amazing Treat Ever, and just when you are ready to mix everything together, you realize that your butter is not at room temperature.

WHAT DO YOU DO???

Don't panic! There are quite a few simple tips and tricks when it comes to getting butter softened in a jiffy. I'll share with you the most popular (and useful) ones below. Just because I like you, I'll also throw in my (until now) Super Top Secret Butter Softening Method, which is the quickest, laziest, and most wonderful butter-softening tactic of all.

I hope you find this quick guide and video to be useful! Have fun with your butter!

Gotta get that butter SOFT!
Gotta get that butter SOFT!

The 5 Most Popular Methods for Soften Butter

  1. Leave it out of the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes before baking: This, of course, does not work in cold rooms (e.g. those belonging to cheap gals like me who don't believe in heating) or those who are not good at preparing for things ahead of time.
  2. Cut the butter into small chunks and mix it using a stand mixer or handheld blender: The heat generated by all that friction softens it up quite quickly!
  3. Roll the butter out between two sheets of parchment paper: No electricity required! Though... you will need some parchment paper. As an alternative to the rolling pin, you can also use your firsts and BEAT the butter into submission!
  4. Heat the butter in a bowl over a pan with softly boiling water: Just be sure to watch it, or else all the butter will melt!
  5. Put the butter in a plastic bag and place that bag in a bowl of warm water: This is simple enough- just make sure the water is not too hot!

WARNING: Step AWAY From the Microwave!

If there is one thing you should NOT do to butter, it's put it in the microwave. Microwaving butter will melt it, not soften it.

Of course, if you do make this mistake, not all is lost. Butter shots, anyone?

How to Soften Butter: THE SIMONE WAY!

Ever since I was very young, I have been softening butter the same way. This is one of the few cooking tips and tricks that I have developed personally, so I'm pretty proud of it.

This method enables one to quickly soften butter without getting a bunch of containers dirty or expending any effort. All you have to do is...

  1. Remove the butter from the fridge
  2. Stow the wrapped stick in your bra, right under your armpit
  3. Go about your business (gathering ingredients, watching TV, yodeling...)
  4. Take the butter out when you need it- it shall be soft and ready to go!

At first the butter will feel a bit cold and odd in your bra, but believe me, you'll forget it's there in mere seconds! Also, though a bit gross, this method is entirely sanitary- after all, the butter is wrapped! Besides, sticking the butter so close to your armp- I mean, heart, makes the food you make extra special in my opinion. You can really taste the personal touch.

What's your favorite butter softening method?

See results

How Do YOU Soften Butter?

What is your go-to method for softening butter? Are you a mixer-person? Or a rolling pin master? Or do you use hot water to speed things up? Let me know in the poll to the right, or in the comments below!

Though we all have our own ways of softening butter, I am sure that we can agree on one thing at least: butter is awesome, and so long as it is treated fairly (e.g. not microwaved, wasted, burned, thrown out, or sworn at), it will do wonderful things to our favorite cookies, cakes, biscuits, and muffins.

Three cheers for butter! The breakfast of champions!

Thanks for stopping by my wee cooking guide, and have fun baking.

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