>I would very much like to know if
>safflower oil can be substituted in a recipe calling for butter.
        Yes, you can substitute virtually any oil, measure for measure, for
butter.  Or if you want a low fat alternative, replace half of the called
for butter measurement with apple sauce (or other fruit puree) and the other
half of the called for measure with oil. Either way, regular or low fat, you
will notice slight differences in cookies/baked goods that are made with oil
rather than butter. You should watch the first batch closely so that burning
or undercooking does not result.  Some times cookies made with oil, in my
experience, turn out a little more "flat" than cookies made with butter.
Doesn't hurt the over all taste of the cookie any--but may slightly change
the texture--but it is only *really* noticeable if you bake a "butter" batch
and compare it to an "oil" batch (which some of my co-workers do on a
regular basis--kind of a neat experiment to do if you have the
time/interest).  Need more info?---If you live near a university in the
US...contact your local university's Dept. of Food Science and they will
more than likely have an extension person on hand to answer questions about
how substitutions effect recipe/recipe functions.