Recently, I was tasked with the duty of baking some brownies and the recipe appeared somewhat daunting.
Although there were fewer ingredients in the recipe, I had trouble measuring some of them accurately using tablespoons.
My brownies turned out great, but they lacked airiness and would fall apart at times.
It can be frustrating when recipes specify ingredients by tablespoons, sticks, or ounces rather than cups.
You may wonder how many tablespoons there are in 1/3 cup of butter after seeing it specified in a recipe.
Let’s find out how to measure butter if butter recipes confuse or make you feel uncertain.
So, how many tablespoons does 1/3 cup of butter have?
1/3 cup butter equals five tablespoons and an additional one teaspoon.
In the United States, a standard cup contains 8 ounces and 16 tablespoons.
While using an entire stick of butter may seem tempting, refrain from doing so to avoid getting a different outcome from what’s expected.
This article will provide information on how to measure butter in tablespoons to get better results in your baking.
Also included is a recipe for butter that you can easily make at home.
How Many Tablespoons are in a Stick of Butter?
A stick of butter is typically sold in 8-ounce sticks.
One stick of butter contains 8 ounces, equivalent to 16 tablespoons or one cup.
However, the amount of butter you need per recipe is based on your ingredients.
While using salted butter, you’ll want to use a stick about the size of your hand.
Then cut it into about 1/4-inch slices.
Each slice of butter should weigh about 4 ounces.
However, you may be using unsalted butter, as is often the case for baking or adding to recipes that don’t require salting.
In that case, grab your favorite size stick and go from there.
Each piece will weigh about one ounce.
You can use whole or skim milk when making butter at home; the shorter the churning time, the more water and fat left in the mixture.
Longer churning times create a thicker and less moist substance.
Buttermilk has a higher water content than regular milk and produces better results when used in baking.
How Many Tablespoons are in Half a Cup of Butter?
Half a cup of butter equals approximately eight tablespoons.
This means a quarter cup of butter equals approximately four tablespoons.
The amount of butter in 12 tablespoons equals 3/4 cups.
On the other hand, four tablespoons of butter amount to a quarter cup, and eight tablespoons of butter is half a cup.
The number of tablespoons needed for half a cup of butter depends on how much you want your butter to be.
If you need just a few tablespoons, use four tablespoons.
Use seven tablespoons of butter if you’re making a full cup and want it slightly firmer or thicker.
Use butter as an ingredient in many dishes, including baked goods like cookies, muffins, cakes, soups and stews, sauces for meats, and dips for vegetables.
How Many Tablespoons does a 2/3 Cup of Butter have?
There are ten tablespoons and two teaspoons in 2/3 cup of butter.
If the recipe calls for 2/3 cup of butter, you need to add this to your cooking.
Moreover, one tablespoon equals three teaspoons, so you can calculate how much the other amount is when using less butter.
Butter Recipe You Can Make at Home
Frosted Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut butter cookies are one of the most popular cookie recipes and for a good reason.
These cookies are easy to make and taste like Reese’s candy.
They’re the perfect way to celebrate the holidays.
What You’ll Need
- Salted butter, softened at room temperature, 1/2 cup,
- Peanut butter, unsweetened, 1/2 cups
- Granulated sugar, ¾ cup
- Packed dark brown sugar, ¾ cup
- One large egg
- Pure vanilla extract, one teaspoon
- All-purpose flour, 1 ¼ cups
- A half teaspoon of baking soda
Frosting:
- Softened salted butter, one cup
- Powdered sugar, 3 cups
- Peanut butter, unsweetened, 1/2 cups
- Pure vanilla extract, 2 tsp.
- Heavy cream splash, optional
- Milk, optional
- Two peanut butter cups for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, whisk together butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add granulated and dark brown sugar and mix for about 30 seconds until combined.
- Add pure extract vanilla and the egg and mix until combined.
- Add the flour and stir until they incorporate fully.
- Then, add baking soda and stir again until mixed thoroughly. Depending on how thick you like your cookies, you may need to add a little more or less.
- Spread your dough onto a large piece of parchment paper or waxed paper. This way, the dough won’t stick to your hands while you work with it later.
- Roll the dough into balls about 1-inch in diameter each, or whatever size is right for you. Flatten slightly with the back of a spoon or finger to make them look like cookies.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper, so they don’t stick together while baking them.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cookies are golden brown around the edges. However, they shouldn’t be too dark on top.
- Remove from the oven immediately, so they don’t continue to cook while cooling off.
- Use parchment paper on cookie sheets if you have issues with sticking. I use parchment paper on the bottom of my cookie sheets when making this recipe.
- Allow cookies to cool before frosting them with your favorite frosting.
How to Make Frosting for Peanut Butter Cookies
Do you know what tastes good with peanut butter cookies?
Frosting.
It’s a must-have in any good cookie recipe.
Frosting gives your cookies a unique look, helps them stay moist, and brings out flavor combinations you didn’t know were possible.
The best part?
You don’t need to be an expert baker to make the frosting.
Here’s how you can make some frosting in a few minutes:
- Combine the salted butter, unsweetened peanut butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extractIn a large bowl.
- Beat with an electric mixer on high speed for about 30 seconds until fluffy and light in color. Mixing too much will result in extra-fluffy frosting. You want this frosting to be a bit denser.
- Add 1/3 cup of your favorite milk or heavy cream, one at a time.
- Beat for 4 to 5 minutes until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Pour into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch tip.
- Attach to a long piece of piping tube to prevent dripping. Pipe the frosting onto your cookies as desired.
Tips for Making Tasty Peanut Butter Cookies
Baking peanut butter cookies doesn’t always have to be monotonous.
You can change up a thing or two in the recipe to get excellent results.
Here’s how:
- Don’t use natural peanut butter as it tends to separate. Instead, use reliable, high-quality peanut butter.
- Ensure your peanut butter is creamy, smooth, and easy to spread.
- Add the wet ingredients into the mixing bowl one at a time and scrape down the bowl between additions. Ensure everything is evenly incorporated before adding the dry ingredients.
- If you have a food processor, use it. It’ll help you make peanut butter a little smoother and more spreadable.
- Add a pinch of salt to the cookie dough if you want it to have a bit more flavor. However, avoid overdoing it, or your cookies will be too salty.
- Sprinkle some cinnamon on top of your dough before baking to add more flavor and sweetness.
Storage Tips for Frosted Peanut Butter Cookies
Storing your frosted peanut butter cookies at room temperature or in the refrigerator will keep them for up to a week.
If you want to store them for longer, put them in an airtight container and the freezer.
You can keep your frosted peanut butter cookies in the freezer for more than six months.
Place a layer of wax paper on top of the cookies before putting them in an airtight container.
Freezing the cookies will extend their shelf life.
While storing them, ensure they’re not touching each other.
This can cause condensation outside each cookie and make it dry out faster than usual.
5 Tips and Tricks for Cooking with Butter
Cooking with butter is a simple way to add that buttery taste to your meals.
It’s also a healthier way to enjoy the benefits of added nutrition and flavor without sacrificing the luxurious texture or richness of your favorite foods.
Here are some great tips and tricks when using butter to ensure your cooking is as delicious as it can be:
- Use butter sparingly when you must. Butter has a high-fat content, so use butter sparingly on foods that don’t require long cooking or tenderizing.
- Use cold butter instead of softened one for pastry. Cold butter has a higher melting point than room temperature butter. This way, you can use butter in pastry dough without warming it up first and risk losing its flakiness or shape.
- You can also use cold butter instead of regular butter in recipes; it doesn’t burn as and will create a more even texture throughout your baked goods.
- Defrosting frozen butter in a microwave will destroy the emulsion. This can create lumps and unevenness in your final product.
- Sautéing is a great way to cook with butter. However, sauté after the butter has stopped foaming. It prevents your food from getting watery.
- A cold marble surface for rolling and pre-chilling your utensils will produce flakier pastries.
- Marble is harder than metal like steel or aluminum when warm temperatures are applied to it. Therefore, it reduces friction between ingredients during the baking process.
Final Word
We hope this information was useful and that you can now measure your butter accurately.
All conversions are approximate, so you’ll have to measure your ingredients for accurate results every time.
This information will be helpful while baking or cooking and ensure you receive the best outcome for your efforts.
As a result, you will avoid any potential mistakes along the way that could jeopardize your meal.
Frosted Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Salted butter softened
- 1/2 cups Peanut butter unsweetened
- ¾ cup Granulated sugar
- ¾ cup Packed dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups All-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, whisk together butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add granulated and dark brown sugar and mix for about 30 seconds until combined.
- Add pure extract vanilla and the egg and mix until combined.
- Add the flour and stir until they incorporate fully.
- Then, add baking soda and stir again until mixed thoroughly. Depending on how thick you like your cookies, you may need to add a little more or less.
- Spread your dough onto a large piece of parchment paper or waxed paper. This way, the dough won’t stick to your hands while you work with it later.
- Roll the dough into balls about 1-inch in diameter each, or whatever size is right for you. Flatten slightly with the back of a spoon or finger to make them look like cookies.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper, so they don’t stick together while baking them.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cookies are golden brown around the edges. However, they shouldn’t be too dark on top.
- Remove from the oven immediately, so they don’t continue to cook while cooling off.
- Use parchment paper on cookie sheets if you have issues with sticking. I use parchment paper on the bottom of my cookie sheets when making this recipe.
- Allow cookies to cool before frosting them with your favorite frosting.
Video
Nutrition
I have a true passion for cooking and experimenting with new ingredients, and I have been creating and perfecting recipes for friends and family for years.
- 25 Easy Cool Whip Recipes - April 28, 2024
- 25 Best Jello Recipes - April 28, 2024
- 25 Easy Chuck Steak Recipes - April 28, 2024