I used to think room temp butter was overrated. Now I get it.

Ngl, for years I'd just microwave my butter until it was soft enough to cream. Then I made a batch of sugar cookies for a friend's party in Austin last month and they came out flat and greasy. My buddy's grandma watched me and pointed out my butter was practically melted. She showed me how to leave it out for 45 minutes instead. Honestly, that one change made my cookies actually hold their shape. Has anyone else had that moment where you realize you've been doing a basic step wrong the whole time?

3 comments

3 Comments

oscarb7727d ago

Nah, 45 minutes is too long if your kitchen is warm.

iris_davis9026d ago

Right, unless you're going for that super slack dough that's a pain to handle (no thanks). A warm kitchen can cut that first rise time in half easily, especially in summer. I've had dough double in size in like 20 minutes when my AC was out and it was 85 degrees in there. That's not enough time for the flavor to develop, you just get a bland, gassy loaf. Better to find a cooler spot in the house or even use colder water to slow things down if you need to step out.

the_dylan26d ago

Left my butter on the counter overnight by accident once. Was baking early the next morning and just went with it. That was the day my chocolate chip cookies finally came out with that perfect chewy edge and soft middle, instead of the pucks I'd been making for years. Now I leave my eggs out too, everything comes to room temp together. It's wild how one small timing thing changes the whole texture.