Home >> Chocolate Chip Cookie FAQ >>Visitor Question
by Melissa
(Orange, CA)
Q. I usually make GREAT choc chip cookies. If the butter is room temp and the house is 50 degrees, does that affect my butter "room temp" when I cream it with the sugar?
A. I have to admit this is a new question for me, but an interesting one none the less. But, I digress. How is it that your house is only 50 degrees inside and how do you live like that?? BRRRRRRR. Most homes, no matter the outside climate, hover in the 65-72 degree range. Leaving a cube of butter out on the counter for a couple of hours should do the trick.
The goal for your butter is not so much temperature as consistency. The butter should not be firm to the touch. It should be just soft enough to leave a slight indentation when you press lightly with your thumb or finger. If you had to you could microwave the butter for a few seconds to help it along, but you always run the risk of partially melting the cube of butter.
There are several methods of getting your butter to the correct consistency quicker when necessary. Here is a easy method for softening butter.
The reason soft butter is ideal is so that air can be more easily whipped into it during the sugar creaming stage. However, colder, firmer butter will still produce a delicious cookie, you will just have chewy chocolate chip cookies.
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