Brown Sugar To soften - place in container in microwave. Also place 1 cup of water in the microwave. Cook on high for 1 minute.

Butter or Margarine To soften sticks - High for 10 seconds. Sticks will retain shapes when softened.

Coconut Toasting - Cook on high for 3 minutes. Stir every 30 seconds.

Citrus Fruits For easier juicing - microwave on high for 15 seconds.

Cream Cheese To soften - Cook on low (30%) power for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes for 3oz. bar or 3 to 4 minutes for a 8oz. bar.

Ice Cream To soften - Check every 15 seconds while cooking on high.

Nuts Toasting - Use 1 tsp. of butter for every 1/2 cup of nuts. Cook on high 2 1/2 to 5 minutes. Stir every 30 seconds. This can be done without the butter.

Quick Frosting Place mint patties over cupcakes. Microwave on high for 15-20 seconds. Spread softened mint over top of cupcake. from about.com

Chocolate can be melted in a microwave oven which is best for small amounts, only. Because milk and white chocolate contain milk proteins, they can overheat quickly and become grainy. They need to be removed from the microwave and stirred sooner than dark chocolate.

To do: Chocolate burns easily, so watch what you are doing very closely. Place one ounce of more of finely chopped chocolate or chocolate chips in a small, unsealed plastic bag set in a microwave-safe bowl. for a total of about 1 and 1/2 minutes. Chocolate holds its form and looks shiny (it won't look melted), so stir several times to check. Let it stand for thirty seconds with the microwave turned off. Remove the container and stir the chocolate until completely melted.

For 1-ounce: You don't want to fully melt it in the microwave. When it is about 85 % done, take it out and stir.

Hershey's Chocolate has a great melting chocolate in a microwave chart: