Kitchen Hack: Softened Butter

I am sure I am not the only one who thinks it is weird that you can put butter in one of those butter bell thingys and leave it on your counter. I am sure it is completely safe but I cannot wrap my head around leaving dairy out of the fridge. It totally grosses me out. I also know that it would be nice to have spreadable butter whenever you wanted it to top a nice banana muffin or piece of toast. What is a girl to do?

I really needed some soft butter for some rolls on Christmas and just had forgotten to set out the butter earlier in the evening so it would be spreadable by the time we sat down for dinner. That is when I remembered something that I had learned on the cooking show, The Kitchen. The Food Network is another one of my addictions. It is rare that I cook anything that I watch them make but there is just something comforting in watching someone prepare yummy food. It makes me feel all cozy and warm inside.

Okay, back to the hack! Well, Sunny Anderson on the kitchen showed a super easy way to get your butter soft in case you needed it in a hurry and it is super simple, easy, and it works! Simply fill a large coffee mug with water and put it in the microwave for 2-2.5 minutes. The time may vary depending on your microwave and the size of the mug. Also, make sure that you use a microwave safe mug.

Meanwhile, measure how much butter you will need and put it on a small plate. This method would only work for a few tablespoons at a time. Once the water is heated, immediately pour out the water in the sink and turn the mug over and use it as a dome over the cold butter. Be careful, the mug and water will be hot! Leave the emptied mug on the butter for a minute or two. Remove the mug and you should have nice spreadable butter!! Perfect for waffles and pancakes too!

#kitchenhack