Last night, I was making peach cobbler while my homemade pizza rolls were in the oven. The peach cobbler recipe called for softened butter, and I still had my rolling pin and pastry mat out from working with the pizza roll dough. Inspiration struck!
How to soften frozen or cold butter without melting it:
- Cut two pieces of parchment or wax paper. A full stick of butter will need 2 squares that are about 12″ by 12″. Half sticks need 6″ x 6″ squares.
- Place your unwrapped frozen or refrigerated butter between the two cut sheets of paper.
- If it’s frozen, give it a few good whacks with a rolling pin. Then, both cold or frozen butter can be rolled with a rolling pin. it takes less than a minute to roll/smash it down to about 1/2″ thick.
- Done! Peel off the paper and work with the softened butter!
This is a really quick and tidy process, since the mess is completely contained within the paper. Cleanup only requires throwing the parchment paper in the garbage can!
I hope this makes your life a little bit easier!
blueviolet says
That’s brilliant, thank you! I also have never frozen butter, so I’m glad to know I can!
Kathleen says
lol I always throw mine in the microwave for a few seconds, so this is very good information to have!
April Decheine says
Yea I always do the microwave thing to and it makes a huge mess.
Megan says
How easy! All this time, I’ve been doing it so wrong
Nichol says
Woohoo thank you! I do defrost on the micro which seems to work but it still melts a bit
Sam says
Brilliant! I never would have thought of that.
Crystal & Co says
Love this. Excellent tip. I melt butter all the time too.
I would love for you to link up and share this on my mommy solution meme.
https://www.crystalandcomp.com/2011/09/the-mommy-club-share-your-resources-and-solutions-11/
'Becca says
That’s so clever! I bet the butter would be even better contained by a bag than 2 sheets. I save the liner bags from cereal and crackers to use for freezing foods. I bet if I rolled butter in one, I’d be able to then tear it down the seam and flop the butter out! I’ll have to try it….