By the time I realize a recipe calls for softened butter, it’s normally too late. All of my other ingredients are combined, the oven is preheated, and I’ve got somewhere to be in an hour. So, I’ll zap it in the microwave and hope it doesn’t melt. It always does.
A hard lesson I’ve learned through cookies that spread too much: When a recipe calls for softened butter, it actually needs softened butter. I know, shocking.
There are countless tricks out there for people like me. I’ve seen the hack of throwing the butter in a plastic bag, then submerging it in warm water. I’ve watched my mom place a warm bowl over a stick. So on and so on. But all those steps just seem like too much work for me.
So, when I saw this creator post a trick for softening butter without dirtying up any dishes, I was obsessed.
While her trick isn’t the sole point of this video, it really stuck with me. (I first saw the video a few years ago, and I’m still telling people about it.) Put a stick of cold butter into your bra so your body warmth heats it, genius! I know it sounds silly, but other people were definitely into it, too.
“That is a GENIUS way to soften butter, why didn’t I think of that lol,” one user said. Another wrote, “omg the butter, perfect way to soften.”
I’ve put this trick to the test a few times, and can confirm that adding the butter to your bra right when you’re getting started with prep allows for the perfect amount of time for the butter to soften.
I’ll place the stick (or sticks, if using more than one) right in my bra and get to work. I try to ensure it’s having as much contact with my skin as possible and even try to rotate it. The stick may soften unevenly if you don’t! Since this hack is dependent on your body warmth, maybe even throw on an extra layer while you’re prepping.
