You have found a great recipe and finally have time to bake. You've got your ingredients measured, the oven is preheated, and the pan is lined. You're now ready to start mixing whatever sweet concoction you'll be baking, but then you suddenly remember that the recipe calls for softened butter.
We have all been there before, and it can put a damper on your baking plans. Now the whole process will take an additional 30 to 60 minutes.
So what do you do? If you're like me and giving up is not an option, then you've tried coming up with a solution that will get the butter to soften faster.
You've probably tried putting the butter next to the hot oven or warming it up in the microwave, but that could turn disastrous if you leave it in even a few seconds longer than recommended.
Some people even get a little silly with it and place the butter in their underarms in hopes that their body heat will do the trick.
Well, there's really no need to go through all that hassle because there's one surefire method that will instantly and effortlessly produce softened butter.
Like us, Jennifer Garner also sometimes forgets to bring the butter out before starting a recipe, and that's exactly what happened on a recent episode of her very relatable Instagram cooking show, #PretendCookingShow.
The actress and mother of three had plans to make Rose Beranbaum's chocolate bread recipe from The Bread Bible. She was up bright and early at 5:30 a.m to prepare for the task, but forgot to bring the butter out the night before.
Desperate times calls for desperate measures, so instead of waiting for the butter to reach the right consistency, she grabbed a cheese grater.
The 13 Going on 30 star grated the stick of butter just like you would with cheese and added it to the bowl. As Garner explained in the clip, grating the butter will result in a "softened-like" consistency.
This genius hack is perfect for those times when you're in a pinch and leaving the butter to soften on the counter is not an option.
If grating might still seem like a little bit too much work, then don't bother putting your butter in the fridge at all. Food experts say it will keep on the counter for up to a week, and it won't affect the quality or taste.
