Vent: I spent 5 years creaming butter and sugar wrong

I always thought creaming meant just mixing them until combined... then I took a class at Sur La Table in Portland and the instructor pointed out my butter was too cold. She said it should be around 65 degrees and you need to go until it's pale and fluffy, like 3-4 minutes minimum. Has anyone else figured out a basic technique way later than they want to admit?

2 comments

2 Comments

wright.michael23h ago

Hate to break it to you but unless you're entering some fancy baking contest does it really matter that much? Most people can't tell the difference between a cookie that got 4 minutes of creaming vs 30 seconds. But hey, if you got time to waste staring at butter go for it.

the_charlie1d ago

You ever get that feeling where you realize you've been doing something basic wrong for years and it's kind of embarrassing? I did the exact same thing with butter and sugar, except I was using a hand mixer and just stopping as soon as it looked mixed, maybe 30 seconds tops. Took me way too long to figure out that pale and fluffy actually matters, like the texture changes completely once you give it that full 3 or 4 minutes. Now I set a timer on my phone and don't stop until it looks like soft whipped cream, and my cookies come out way more tender. Your mileage may vary, but that Sur La Table class sounds like it was worth every penny for real.