5 Things You Don’t Actually Need an Electric Mixer to Make
Do you really need a mixer to whip cream? And other low-tech cooking questions, answered.
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Whenever I watch Chopped, I daydream about what I would cook if I had such a well-stocked pantry and unlimited access to culinary equipment. I’m a backseat driver when I watch the contestants make ice cream (not that they can hear me), which is ironic because I don’t have an ice cream maker at home. In fact, I don’t even own a hand mixer.
I do most of my baking when I’m at my mom’s house for the holidays. She has the soufflé pan, the bundt pan, the stand mixer and so on. I, on the other hand, own just two sets of mixing bowls, some measuring cups, a whisk and two wooden spoons (and the second one is relatively new).
However, when the holidays rolled around this year, I realized that you don’t need much to bake well. Sure, your batters will probably turn out smoother with some help from appliances, and some steps can be tiring by hand, but whether a mixer is necessary is a different question. So, when it comes down to it, what can you make without an electric mixer?
Brownies, Cakes and Cookies
Many recipes for brownies, cakes and cookies will call for a mixer regardless of the ingredients. However, when you’re using a liquid fat like oil, melted butter or melted coconut oil, an electric mixer isn’t necessary. All you need to do is combine the ingredients, so a wooden spoon, whisk or rubber spatula will work just fine.
You do need to be careful when a recipe calls for creaming together butter and sugar. That means incorporating air into the mixture until it becomes fluffier and lighter in color. You can get decent results by thoroughly softening the butter and beating it into the sugar with a sturdy wooden spoon, but it’s better to use an electric mixer.
Biscuits and Scones
It’s important not to overmix delicate baked goods, which means an electric mixer is not the best tool for the job anyway. Using a food processor or pastry cutter instead will keep your dough nice and fluffy.
Whipped Cream
While whipping cream is easier with a mixer, there are a couple of ways to do it without one. One option is whisking by hand. In this case, opt for a large balloon whisk, which will help peaks form faster than with a small whisk. Or, if you want to save some time and energy, you can use a blender at low speed. Just be careful — if your setting is too high, you’ll end up with butter!
Pasta Dough
Some pasta recipes will call for a mixer to save you some effort, but you can achieve the same results with a little patience. Start by mixing the eggs into the flour with a fork, then transition to kneading by hand. You’ll need to take your time with this step to get a smooth dough, but rest assured, you can do it.
Mashed Potatoes
It’s common to use a hand mixer to speed up the mashing process, but it doesn’t yield the best results. You’re more likely to overmix the potatoes, which makes them gummy. Instead, you should mash them by hand with a masher or a ricer so you have more control over the texture.
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