What's the best way to soften frozen butter to make cookies?

I use a cheese slicer to slice off thin, even slices of butter, they soften almost immediately.

Cut the butter in half. Heat one half until just melted. Pour over the cold half. Let stand for 10 minutes. Fold gently and carry on.

I also cut cold butter into small pieces, but then I go ahead and beat them with the paddle attachment in my stand mixer until soft. Adding a small portion of the sugar while doing this seems to help speed up the process.

I often run into this problem and I do as soojazurus said, cutting the butter into small chunks first to speed thawing and sitting on on a plate on the stove. My pilot light tends to keep the stove a bit warm, so that helps provide some gentle heat.

If I know that I'll be baking, I'll usually just take the butter out in the morning, leave it on the counter and make cookies after I'm home from work. Emergency style? I'll start getting ingredients ready and just leave the butter by the oven while it preheats, and it should be closer to room temperature.

If I know that I'll be baking, I'll usually just take the butter out in the morning, leave it on the counter and make cookies after I'm home from work. Emergency style? I'll start getting ingredients ready and just leave the butter by the oven while it preheats, and it should be closer to room temperature.

I cut it into think slices -- maybe 15 per stick -- and then spread those thin slices out on a cookie sheet. And then I put that cookie sheet on my kitchen's stone counter. The metal cookie sheet is an excellent conductor of heat -- and cold -- and therefore will draw the cold out of the butter extra fast. That it sits on the stone counter, which in turn will draw out the cold even faster is an added bonus.

What I often do (which will work sort of out of the fridge, but probably not out of the freezer) is cream the butter and sugar together with my hands. I find it easier than a fork, and the heat of your hands will help it soften without melting it. And it's fun.

If I need it right away I pulse it in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time, turning it over each time. Just be careful, the second you start to feel that it's soft do NOT proceed, or you'll end up with a puddle on your turntable. Either way it's best to do it in a bowl for this purpose.

Grate it, spread on a plate and leave at room temp for 5 minutes or so

Cutting it into 1/2 inch cubes speeds up the process a lot.

Let it thaw at room temp for best results! I know it sucks having to wait, but with frozen butter you have to plan ahead.