Softening Butter Quickly

I love to bake. Especially cookies and muffins. Anything with a chocolate chip in it, really. The one down side to baking is the whole softened butter business. I'm more of a spontaneous baker. I don't usually think to myself - Hmm... I think I'll bake cookies in about three hours (or whatever the ample time for a stick of butter to come to room temperature is). Nope. It's more like - Mmmmm, I think I need to get my Tollhouse on, how can I get this butter the perfect texture to make an amazing cookie?

The past few times that I've done this, I have been softening my butter in the microwave. That sound you hear is everyone on the Food Network collectively gasping. But, whatever. It works for me. I put one or two sticks of butter in the microwave for six seconds. Then I turn it to the next side and then give it another six seconds. I think it takes a total of three times, but I'm sure microwaves vary, so continue to do this until you can feel that the butter is soft enough. You may even want to do smaller increments, if you have a turbo microwave. Make sure to turn it each time, though. It's a fine line you have to tread. You don't want melted butter. Better to err on the side of too hard. Especially if you use a stand mixer (does anyone still stir cookies by hand?), once you cream it with the sugar, it'll be fine!

For more helpful tips, visit We Are That Family.