How do you make your butter soft?

[BrandyButterPie]

This house is freezing. Double glazed, central heated, but freezing. The butter is rock hard, I can't spread it, unless I microwave it in small amounts, and I do too much or too little. If I stick the entire dish in, the rest goes funny.

Short of bringing the butter into the living room with the humans, what can I do?

Don't say marge. I have it in for cooking, and tried some on bread yesterday and it was horrible. I have no idea how I used to think that was ok. I suppose it would be passable on toast on in a butty.

micro in 5 second bursts

in a ramekin, that's usually enough for the 4 of us

I freeze it first, then it is easier to spread even if it's cold.

and yy bring it in with the humans (lol)in a covered butter dish if you like

that's what my gran used to do, park it on the mantelpiece over the fire

I microwave mine too, also in 5-10 second bursts.

Unlike what I did earlier this week when I was nattering with a mate and put it on for 45 seconds.

I realised with 15 seconds to go, but too late.

We had to spoon the butter onto the bread for the sarnies.

We always leave the butter out in the kitchen, uncovered. It is a bit hard in the morning when making sandwiches for lunch, but OK for toast. We have a south facing kitchen and it is quite warm enough by lunchtime.

Lurpak spreadable.

Me too, ie cut off a chunk and microwave in a ramekin

I microwave briefly too. Interesting about freezing if though, definitely going to try thta. Good tip!

Leave it out of the fridge in a butter dish - butter is fine for months without being in fridge I believe

Well, obviously it is out of the fridge, or else why would it matter what temperature it is?!

Does anyone actually keep "active" butter in the fridge? We keep the next pat in there, and a spare two or three in the freezer, but our kitchen is so cold that the one in the dish is still rock hard.

I will perfect my microwave technique :)