Last night I set out butter to soften to make cookies, I went to bed and forgot all about it...is the butter that has been sitting on my counter top all night still okay to make cookies?

Thanks for the help, I hate to throw it away.

I always let mine sit out overnight to soften for baking the next day. I have never had any problems.

Berta

thanks Berta, I've never let it sit out that long...
I'm off to make cookies..

Absolutely! Believe me, if butter is bad you'll know it--one experience with rancid butter and you will never forget it.

when it is bad, does it smell? How do I know its bad before its too late and everyone around me is sick?

its fine. i have a ceramic butter holder thingy that i keep butter in, it holds about 1/3 cup of butter and i leave it in the cupboard. the reason being if i want to eat toast with butter it melts better and i dont have to destroy my toast trying to butter it with cold butter....and its only a small amount so its finished before it can go bad and them i refill,,,,the butter is fine...ummmm feel like eating toast with butter.....

I keep a stick of real butter on the counter at all times for buttering toast, biscuits, bread, etc. My great-grandparents always did this to have soft butter. I've never had any go bad. We usually go through about 2 sticks a week. I also use it for cooking eggs or grilled cheese, so your butter over-night will be perfectly fine. However, I learned the hard way, you can't do that with margarine-the margarine has so much oil in it that it will run all over your counter!