Forgot to take out the butter? Get smooth, spreadable butter in a flash with an essential tip

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It's time to get started on those cookies or that cake you promised to bring to the family dinner – but you forgot to pull out the butter. You have a few choices: Wait 30-plus minutes for the butter to warm on the counter, toss it in the microwave (hello, overly melted butter and splatters to spare) or try one of these handy techniques.
If time is not on your side and you don't feel like dealing with butter splatters, one of these handy hacks can solve your cold butter problem in a snap.
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The video below shows just how easy it is to get soft butter without the mess.
How it works: Simply place the amount of butter you need on a plate. Fill a glass with hot water and allow it to stand for a minute (so the glass gets hot). Pour out the water, then place the cup upside down over the butter and allow it to sit for a minute. Presto!
If you are pulling butter straight from the freezer, you can get it to just the right temperature in seconds. Pull out your cheese grater and shred the butter until you have the amount you need. The smaller shreds of butter will warm up quickly, according to The Kitchn.
Both of these methods work great with frozen butter. If you buy butter on sale, you can store salted butter in the freezer for up to a year and unsalted butter for up to three months. You'll need to store it in its original wrapper in a freezer bag or wrapped in foil, according to Dairy Goodness.
Dairy Goodness also recommends using a cheese slicer when you need to butter toast. The thinned butter pieces will soften quickly for easy spreading.
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Don't forget to check out the video above to see an easy (and mess-free) method for softening butter and share it with your friends on Facebook.
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