Depending on 'how fast' you need it - let hot water from the faucet run through a bowl in your sink then take the empty, but quite warm, bowl and place it upside down on a stick of butter (that has been cut into quarters) on the counter. It will soften up in a bit. I've also put my toaster oven on for a minute or two and then put a stick of butter (cut up in pieces) inside just to soften up.

You could make some pumpkin soup and dump some of the pumpkin butter in it. CURRIED PUMPKIN SOUP 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced 1/2 cup chopped onion 2 Tbs. butter or margarine 2 Tbs. flour 1 tsp. curry powder (less or more to taste) 3 cups vegetable broth (can use chicken broth) 1 can (15 oz.) solid-pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) 1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk 1 Tbs. honey 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg Fresh or frozen chives or chopped green onion tops (optional) In a large saucepan, saute the mushrooms and onions in better until tender. Stir in the flour and curry powder until blended. Gradually add the broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the pumpkin, milk, honey, salt, pepper and nutmeg; heat through. Garnish with chives if desired.

It's been over 2 decades since shortening or margarine was in the house... I'm a butter and coconut oil fan now. FYI moment: -BUTTER - spreads more during baking (chill the dough, use cold pans, and line them with parchment paper), cookies are more crisp, and have that buttery flavor and mouth-feel only butter can provide. Not to mention the satiety factor provided by real butter. -BUTTER/MARGARINE Blends - similar results to using butter, with less butter flavor than all-butter cookies. -VEGETABLE SHORTENING - has no buttery flavor unless the (doesn't taste at all like butter - are your taste buds DEAD?) butter-flavored variety is used. Spreads less or not at all. Cookies are cake-like and softer. Cookies tend to crumble and are more dry. -REDUCED-CALORIE OR LOW-FAT BUTTER OR MARGARINE - Softer dough, spread much less or not at all, and brown less. Cookies are cake-like, rather than crisp. Tend to result in tougher, rather than tender cookies. Sticks to the cookie sheet more easily. Less or no butter flavor than all-butter cookies. Become hard and dry more quickly. I wonder how many cookies, cakes and general baked goods were made with lard pre-1960's? I see lard in recipes all the time in older cookbooks. My mother used lard until she couldn't get fresh lard anymore (from the meat processing plant) and didn't like the hydrogenated stuff. I remember the first can of SPRY vegetable shortening she brought home. I still have the recipe pamphlet. -Grainlady

Splenda Raspberry Cheese Tarts Makes: 10 (3-inch) tarts Preparation Time: 25 minutes Bake time: 15 to 20 minutes 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/4 cup SPLENDA No Calorie Sweetener, Granular 5 tablespoons reduced-calorie margarine, softened 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt 1 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granular 1/2 cup egg substitute PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Paper line 10 muffin cups. COMBINE first 3 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring until blended. Press 1 tablespoon of mixture into each muffin cup. Place 4 or 5 raspberries on top of crust in each muffin cup. Set aside. BEAT cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add yogurt and beat 1 minute or until smooth. Add SPLENDA® Granular and egg substitute; beat until blended. Divide mixture evenly over raspberry topped crusts. BAKE for 15 to 20 minutes or until firm to touch. Cool in muffin tins on a wire rack. Chill 2 hours before serving. Nutrition Information per serving Serving size: 1 tart Total Calories 120 Calories from Fat 45 Total Fat 5g Saturated Fat 2g Cholesterol 5mg Sodium 160mg Total Carbohydrate 15g Dietary Fiber 0g Sugars 4g Protein 4g Exchanges Per Serving: 1 Starch, 1 Fat This recipe, when compared to a traditional recipe, has a 53% reduction in calories, a 58% reduction in fat, a 57% reduction in carbohydrates and an 85% reduction in sugar! ------------------------------- Award-Winning Butter Tarts recipe by Lennie Butter tarts are a Canadian tradition. Waaaay back in the 1970s, a national contest here in Canada concluded that these butter tarts, originating from Wilkie's Bakery in Orillia, Ontario, were the best. I certainly think so and it's the only recipe I use. Add a sprinkle of toasted walnuts when you add the raisins, if you wish, or use only walnuts if you don't like raisins. 16 servings 1 hour 5 minutes 45 mins prep pie pastry (enough to fill 16 muffin cups, your own or from a mix) 1/2 cup raisins 1/4 cup soft butter 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1 pinch salt 1/2 cup corn syrup 1 egg, lightly beaten 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Prepare muffin pans by rolling out pie dough and cutting 4-inch (approx) circles; fit dough circles into muffin cups; set aside in fridge until ready to fill. In a small bowl, place raisins and cover with hot tap water; let stand on the counter for 30 minutes. In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, mix together the soft butter, brown sugar, salt and corn syrup; stir well until sugar is dissolved and butter is creamed. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Drain raisins. Retrieve tart shells and divide raisins equally into all shells; then divide butter mixture into all tarts. Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes; filling will be lightly browned but still bubbling. Canadians fall into two camps about butter tarts and are quite loyal to their favourite type: runny or firm. I like runny-- the type that dribbles when you bite into one; if you like firm, bake them for the full 20 minutes, even adding another minute or two if you wish. Let cooked butter tarts cool in pans for 10 minutes after removing from oven; then remove and place on racks until completely cool. Calories 84 Calories from Fat 28 (34%) Amount Per Serving %DV Total Fat 3.2g 4% Saturated Fat 1.9g 9% Polyunsat. Fat 0.2g Monounsat. Fat 0.9g Trans Fat 0.0g Cholesterol 20mg 6% Sodium 36mg 1% Potassium 51mg 1% Total Carbohydrate 14.3g 4% Dietary Fiber 0.2g 0% Sugars 8.6g Protein 0.6g 1% Vitamin A 103mcg 2% Vitamin B6 0.0mg 0% Vitamin B12 0.0mcg 0% Vitamin C 0mg 0% Vitamin E 0mcg 0% Calcium 7mg 0% Magnesium 2mg 0% Iron 0mg