Margarine will melt in hot water, even faster in hot, soapy water.
You could use lard!
in place of
The usual substitution is 1 stick of margarine in place of 1 stick of butter, as they have approximately the same volume. By weight, this would normally be 1/4 pound for butter, slightly less for margarine. By volume, a stick is about 1/2 cup or 8 tablespoons, or about 118 ml.
You can substitute olive oil for margarine by using exactly the same quantity. They are equivalent in any recipe.
Margarine is shortening and can be used in place of butter or other shortenings in baking, though the flavour won't be the same. In many recipes some feel the best results in texture and flavour are obtained by using butter or half-and-half butter and lard.
You can use margarine (or low fat spread)
A common nondairy ingredient to use in cookie recipes in place of butter is shortening. It will change the texture of the cookie, usually cookies with shortening will be a little chewier than cookies with butter.
a chemical change take a place
It is a physical change
There are several fats you can use in baking, if you don't want to use butter. Margarine for example will offer a very good vegetable based substitue, if it is because you are vegetarian. Also any of the non-fat spreads will work ok.
A quick way to soften frozenmargarine or butter is to place it in a microwave oven on low power for a few seconds at a time until it is soft enough. However, if care is not taken in doing this, the result will be a puddle of liquid butter or margarine.
I wouldn't. Margarine is not pure butter or a substitute for any other pure shortening; it is mixed with all kinds of extras and additives and unless you are using a recipe specifically designed for margarine, and preferably a particular brand of margarine, your cookies could end up disappointing. Just use butter, or half-and-half butter and lard for cookies, short pastry and cakes and the end result will be great. Remember, butter-substitute spreads are still, generally speaking, mostly fat and certainly no 'healthier' than pure shortening.