Use a scoop for perfectly portioned cookies. Photo, Erik Putz.
Sometimes you just get an urge to bake, stat. But many cake, cookie and muffin recipes call for room temperature butter and eggs — and won't work well if your dairy is cold. But don’t panic — you don't need to wait the hours it would take to bring them up to temperature. There are a few tips and tricks you can learn to keep on track and get your butter and eggs up to room temperature quickly?
Many recipes work best when all your ingredients are at room temperature (except when otherwise specified — think pie crusts and scones, for instance). Not only is it hard to work with cold butter, but when it’s still chilled, it doesn’t mix as well with the other ingredients in your batter. It’s the same story with eggs.
But it’s super easy to bring butter and eggs to room temperature quickly. Here’s how:
Instead of microwaving your butter, which can leave you with a big, melty mess, follow these steps to soften butter in a pinch:
Cold eggs don’t beat well — and it’s tricky to make a meringue with chilled egg whites. But you can easily warm them up, no cracking required.
Now, the only thing left to do is start baking!
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