5 Genius Butter Hacks Everyone Should Know

This article originally appeared on Real Simple

1. Cutting

To chop butter into small pieces quickly (for pie dough or dotting on vegetables), place about 4 tablespoons of cold butter in an egg cutter. Slice, rotate a quarter turn, and slice again.

2. Measuring

When you unwrap a new stick, cut the entire thing into tablespoons. That way, you'll know exactly how many tablespoons you have left for cookies and cakes.

3. Spreading

To make cold butter spreadable for toast, sliver pieces off the stick with a Y-shape vegetable peeler.

4. Greasing

For mess-free greased pans, rub a butter wrapper around the inside. (Save your empty wrappers folded in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.)

5. Softening

To soften cold butter quickly, place it in a plastic bag and smack it with a rolling pin until it's malleable.

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