In the past, I was often indifferent about a recipe calling for softened butter. I would just throw a stick of cold butter in the stand mixer bowl and hope for the best. But now that I'm a bit older ...

If you've ever decided to bake a batch of cookies at the last minute, you know that bringing a stick or two of butter to room temperature safely and quickly is important—but it's also tricky business.

Beating butter with a rolling pin is the quickest, most foolproof method for achieving evenly softened butter. A stand mixer or microwave are both effective tools, but proceed with caution to ensure ...

There have been countless times when I’ve planned to bake something (like holiday cookies), but as soon as I scan through the recipe, I realize that it calls for softened butter and all I have is rock ...