How To Tell That Your Butter Is Perfectly Softened For Baking

When you're craving homemade chocolate chip cookies instead of store-bought alternatives, there's one ingredient that will make or break the caliber of the dough. (Selecting a high-quality chocolate chip is a given.) The not-so-secret ingredient for top-notch cookies (and other sweet treats) is a perfectly softened stick of butter. 

When butter is soft enough for baking, there are two important telltale signs. First, you should be able to press your finger gently into the butter stick and leave an indentation without the stick completely collapsing or your finger running through. Secondly, the stick should have a dull, muted finish rather than a glossy sheen. If your butter stick checks both boxes, you're ready to bake, and the butter will incorporate seamlessly into the batter. But if it's overly soft or still slightly frozen, you'll need to use a few tricks to get it to the ideal consistency. Don't worry, it's possible to achieve perfectly softened butter every single time you bake — as long as you adhere to the following tips.

Thawing butter is a tricky business. If left on the counter, butter can take hours to thaw on its own. If left in the microwave, butter can quickly turn from a solid block into a melted puddle if it isn't watched carefully. Instead, the best move is to create a pseudo-sauna environment that will allow the butter to warm up comfortably without using high heat. To do this, put 1-2 cups of water into a glass container and set it in the microwave for a couple of minutes. While the water heats, cut up your semi-frozen butter stick into cubes and put them on a microwave-safe plate. When the water is hot, remove it from the microwave and replace it with the plate of cold butter slices. Close the door and allow the butter to sit in the steamy, warm microwave for about 10 minutes. Your butter will be perfectly soft and ready to use.

In case you have the opposite problem, you can save overly soft butter by putting it into a mixing bowl and adding a few ice cubes. Stir for a couple minutes and watch the butter stiffen slightly. Take out the ice cubes, and use the butter as normal. Sadly, this won't work if your butter has completely melted.

Waiting for butter to soften can be tough, but for baking purposes, it's totally worth it. Your freshly baked cookies will definitely thank you. Who knows, maybe your next batch will taste even better than Costco's fancy chocolate chip cookies!