Holiday Baking Tips No. 2 and 3

2. Always use butter for the best flavor in your holiday baking. If you prefer to use margarine make sure to select products with 70-80% fat. Do not use reduced-fat spreads for cookies as they will spread too much and tend to stick to the cookie sheet. Butter makes cookie dough easier to roll out after refrigerating because it becomes firm when chilled so I always recommend using it for cut-out cookies.

3. When butter is too soft, cookies will spread too much. Soften butter by allowing it to sit at room temperature about 30-45 minutes before needed. I often soften it in the microwave using DEFROST and microwaving in 10-15 second increments. Go slowly the first few times so that butter doesn't melt. Once melted, use the butter for vegetables or other foods but not for baking.

Check back for more tips later this week!