Okay as a newbie, I'm amazed at all the fantastic recipes on this site but I have a wee problem. Been Irish living in Ireland I can't figure out the ingredient amounts!!!

I presume with the measuring cups for sugar, flour etc. its a matter of filling the cup to the correct mark and giving it a wee shake to settle the ingredients.

But how on earth do you measure 1/2 cup of butter? And what weight is in a stick of butter?

I'm not sure what it's like in Ireland, but here in the US, the wrappers on sticks of butter have markings for tablespoons and cups. (here, 1 stick = 1/2 cup). If you don't have that, maybe this will help. 8 tablespoons = 1/2 cup, so you can either scoop out 8 T or soften the butter a little and measure it in the measuring cups that you do have.

good luck!

No bonnie, here its strictly lbs and ounces or Kilo's and Grams. Cups are for drinking out of, lol.

I have measuring cups but I've been afraid to try and bake anything with butter in it because I didn't know whether to pack the cup solid with softened butter or what to do.

Hey Sparklycake! My sister-in-law is Irish and she will only eat butter from Ireland...so everytime she visits home, she smuggles back pounds of butter in her luggage.

Must be yummy!!!

Yep my brother in law and his wife live in california and they come home with massive cases and take back, tea, chocolate, butter, cheese and crisps in mad amounts.

I'm getting loads of ideas from this website and I only signed up this morning, love those valentine cookies everyone on here seems to be making, you never see cookie bouquets here! I'm wondering if I made up a few would the local store sell some of them for me.

Well of course thats if I can figure out how much butter to put into them, lol.

Welcome Sparklycakes! I am sure you can figure out the butter. And then everyone will love your cookie bouquets.

Also, in case no one else has mentioned it . . .
1 stick = 4 ounces.

1/2 cup of butter is one stick, or 4 ounces

I found this site one day. It might be helpful. I have it marked in my favorites in case I ever need it.
http://www.cafecreosote.com/Reference/equivalents.php3

1 Stick = 1/2 Cup = 4 Oz is exactly what I needed to know!

Thanks everyone, that means none of these fab cake recipes are safe now, I'll try them all! And an attempt at cookie production will be on the cards over the weekend.

1 stick= 1/4 lb= 1/2 cup
1 lb= 454 grams= 2 cups
2 sticks= 1/2 lb= 1 cup
Here in Canada we have 1/2 lb and 1 lb blocks. We don't have 'sticks'