Some recipes (pastry etc) request you “cut in very cold butter” with your fingers, a knife, a pastry blender or even a food processor. I don’t own a food processor and don’t like the idea of my fingers squishing into the flour and butter. Using a knife(s) and cutting the butter into smaller pieces takes so long. My pastry blender is cheap and works but I often have to stop and knock the butter off of it so it can be made into small pieces in the bowl.
A food processor (so I have been told) is certainly quick and easy but alas, you can over process the butter in seconds (yes that fast) making the butter pieces too small and overworked which might be okay for cookies instead of pastry (but when have you ever had to cut in butter for a cookie recipe?). Fear not – an easy solution and if I can do it (your average kitchen cook) then so can you. If you are better organized than me putting the quantity of butter you are going to work with into the freezer for at least 20 minutes is even better.
You GRATE your butter! That’s right – perfect similar sizes of butter for your recipe every time. Of course, the butter needs to be either cold or frozen. Start grating it immediately from the fridge because you don’t want it to warm up. Grip it and place the butter between with the SAFEGRATE™. Sometimes it can get slippery for your fingers with the butter if you have a lot so make sure your fingers and the SAFEGRATE™ are dry before you start. Placing a bit of paper towels underneath your fingers holding the SAFEGRATE™ is even better. Once the butter is in between the SAFEGRATE™, grate away. It works great and of course protects and shields your fingers that can come dangerously close to the sharp grater tines. Like the looks of the grater? I call it the “TwoGRATE”. Keep posted. If you are using a box grater, lightly toss the fluffy grated butter into your flour with a fork or into what your recipe calls for. This results in perfect “butter” crumbs in moments!