What is the difference between softened and melted butter

Then how that mixture reacts during the cooking time. It has a lot to do with the way the air is released from the thinner cookie dough. If the desired result for your cookies requires softening butter instead of melting it, we can help with that too. The traditional method to soften butter is to let it sit out on your kitchen counter for one to two hours. However, even after that time frame with this method, the butter can still be too cold.

Here are some much quicker methods. You can grate the butter or cut it into cubes, and it will soften at room temperature in much less time. You can use a double boiler. Click here to see La Patisserie double boiler on Amazon. The last fast soften method is to let some ambient heat soften it. This would include putting the butter near a preheating oven, in a sunbeam, or in the microwave with it off after just microwaving something.

With melted butter, you get fewer air bubbles in the cake mix. This results in a tighter structured cake. The tight structure makes it much denser than using softened butter. Many believe that cake should have a lighter and fluffier feel to it, so you see the melted butter method less often. Absolutely you can use melted butter as a substitution for the oil that is called for in a boxed cake mix. It will change the cake, however.

These baked goods rely on baking powder or baking soda for much of their leavening, and don't need creamed butter to rise. According to The Kitchn, if you use melted butter in your dough, make the dough into small rounds, then chill the dough before popping them in the oven, your cookies will have chewiness from the butter as well as crispy edges.

This sounds like chewy and crispy cookie goodness. An increase in the percentage of palmitic acid to produce more milk to meet demand would confirm Van Rosendaal's research that higher levels would make butter less likely to soften at room temperature.

If you have a bit more time on your hands, you can cut the stick s of butter into fourths lengthwise and then cube into small pieces. The smaller the cubes, the quicker the butter will soften. Just leave them at room temperature for about an hour or until soft to the touch. The rate of butter going rancid can be much reduced by always covering butter left out to soften. You want as little air in contact with the butter as possible. A secret baker's trick is to rest your cookie dough in the fridge.

You can rest it for at least an hour, which will evaporate some of the water and increase the sugar content, helping to keep your cookies chewy. The longer you allow your dough to rest in the fridge, the chewier your cookies will be. Fat: When it comes to fat, high protein, and low melting temperatures allow cookies to spread more, resulting in crispier cookies.

Eggs: Cookies without eggs are usually flatter and crispier since eggs act as leavening agents. However, it's the yolks that make cookies chewy, while the whites lead to crunchier cookies. Adding more moisture to your dough in the form of extra butter, egg yolks, or brown sugar will make your cookies even softer. If you use butter that has been microwaved or melted it will lead to oils being deposited on top of the cookie making them greasy to the touch.

They are also likely to be misshapen and have an underdone middle because they aren't able to cook through as constantly without the air bubbles created by creaming. In some cases, though, using melted butter that is then cooled but still liquid can have a different but not undesirable effect. The line between softened and melted butter is thin.

Turn away from the microwave for a second to chase a wily toddler, and the butter's gone. You can use it in frosting -- with a few caveats. Melted butter works well, though, for a simple glaze or powdered sugar frosting. Step 1: Pour 2 cups of water into a microwave-safe cup or bowl.

I always use a liquid measuring cup. When you need softened butter for a recipe and end up with melted butter, set aside the melted version for cooking or table use, then soften more for your baking.

Grate cold butter or cut it into thin slices to help it soften quickly, or speed the process by kneading it or rolling it between sheets of wax paper. Avoid using your microwave, which heats the butter unevenly and is more likely to melt it.

Fred Decker is a trained chef and certified food-safety trainer. He's held positions selling computers, insurance and mutual funds, and was educated at Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. By: Fred Decker. Butter Substitute for Baking Scones. Making Chocolate From Cocoa Powder. Greek Yogurt Instead of Butter in Baking. What Is the Highest Quality Butter for Can I Substitute Vanilla Yogurt for How to Cream Butter Without a Mixer.