If you plan on baking a lot of goodies this holiday season, you’ll probably hoard a small stack of butter wrappers before you know it. Their usefulness doesn’t go away once the butter is mixed into your dough, though. Precious bits of butter often get left behind and can be just the right amount for certain kitchen tasks.
So instead of tossing them in the trash, keep those wrappers in a plastic bag in the freezer. You never know when they’ll come in handy! In the meantime, here’s a quick list of baking tips and other ways to reuse butter wrappers.
1. Grease Cake Pans
Do you struggle with a cake that falls apart as soon as you remove it from the pan? Next time you’re baking, grease the pan with butter and coat it with a little bit of flour. This makes flipping the cake out a breeze—every time.
2. Add Extra Flavor to Baked Goods
What’s better than fresh baked bread or muffins? A melted buttery topping! While they’re still warm, cover your baked goods with a wrapper for a few minutes to let the butter soak in.
3. Prepare Rice Krispie Treats
They’re the childhood treat everyone loves to eat but hates to make. Use the buttered side of a spent wrapper to press them into the pan. No sticky fingers here!
4. Slice Desserts with Ease
A lightly buttered knife will glide through desserts with streusel toppings like cakes, cobblers or bread.
5. Wrap Homemade Candies
Non-marked butter wrappers make a great alternative to wax paper for wrapping up homemade candies like caramels.
6. Grease a Frying Pan
Non-stick spray? No way. The butter left behind on a wrapper is a good amount to get a quick sauté started.
7. Butter Your Toast
If you’re trying to be more conscious of how much butter you’re using in the A.M., try buttering your toast with what’s left on the wrapper.
8. Bake Flavor into Your Dishes
Foil butter wrappers can be used to cover a variety of dishes like roasted chicken or baked potatoes. It protects them from browning too fast and infuses them with a rich, buttery flavor.
9. Keep Hamburger Patties Separated
Do you love hosting big cookouts in the summer? Make them a little easier by keeping hamburger patties separated with butter wrappers. It’s freezer friendly too!
10. Butter Corn on the Cob
Pull wrappers out of the freezer for a mess-free way to butter this summer barbecue staple.
Reusing butter wrappers is a great way to get a good bang for your buck. Keep a stash in your freezer to always have one ready to go whenever you need it.
