Whether you need softened butter for baking, or just prefer it on your toast, achieving the perfect butter consistency can be a challenge. Not everyone likes to (or can) leave their butter on the counter to soften for hours, so they turn to the microwave, which we all know can be a bit fickle. Thanks to this tip from America's Test Kitchen, you can reuse over-softened butter, instead of reaching for another stick and suffering the same fate. Now that's dairy-smart!

To save partially melted butter, place it in a bowl with a few ice cubes and stir. In less than a minute, the butter will quickly cool and solidify to the soft texture you are looking for. Simply remove the ice cubes and proceed with the recipe.

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