Tips for working with butter

Tip of the day: when making a cookie or cake recipe that calls for the creaming method -- mixing softened butter and sugar together -- try:
1) using unsalted butter,
2) cutting the butter into small pieces -- softens quicker that way,
3) creaming the butter first, without the sugar,
and
4) whatever salt is called for in the recipe, instead of adding that to your dry ingredients, cream it into the butter well, BEFORE you add the sugar -- combines more thoroughly this way.