Simple Things

[mama_kestrel]

I bake rather a lot. Tonight I remembered that I had a cup of heavy cream leftover from another project, which needed to be used up before it went bad if it hadn't already. I checked; no, still fine. So I decided on cream scones, which are easy and would go well with the root vegetable stew in the crock pot. It having been awhile since I made them, I did a quick search for a recipe.

Am I the only person on the planet who still thinks in terms of how long it takes to set up and clean up these amazing gadgets? Every single recipe I found relied on a food processor to cut the butter into the flour/baking powder mixture. All right, sure, it takes under a minute if you do it that way, but that doesn't count getting out the machine if it doesn't live on the counter (as mine does not), nor inserting the correct blade, nor disassembling and cleaning the entire bowl/lid/blade assembly after. Say, if you're efficient, 5 minutes each for assembly and disassembly, plus washing up. And you don't save a bowl, either, because if you try to blend in the liquid in the processor it will end up overmixed and tough; the machine simply works too fast. So the dough ends up in a bowl for final hand-mixing anyway.

By contrast, it took me about 3 minutes to cut the butter in with a pastry blender, which included locating the pastry blender someone had put away in the wrong place. Cream gets mixed into the same bowl; no transfering. I have to wash the bowl and the pastry blender.

Sometimes low tech is much more efficient.

The scones are good, too.

Comments

[catsittingstill]

You are not alone; I think about the time spent cleaning those gadgets. Sometimes it is worthwhile, but other times not.

Cold hands

[dialecticdreamer]

My hands are usually warm enough for making shortbread properly, but for making pastry like this, rinsing my hands in very cold water and drying them allows me to blend even faster than a pastry blender, with no tools to wash, LOL. I need a spoon for adding wet ingredients, but the mixing to fine crumb texture is purely hand work.

Re: Cold hands

[mama_kestrel]

You have the advantage of me there. My hands are so warm I have to work fast to do cake decorating properly, because the frosting in the piping bag starts to melt to smearing stage after about five minutes. If I try to make pastry, I get softened butter well before I get fine crumbs. I have to keep my hands out of it as long as possible, and no amount of cold water rinsing is going to chill them long enough.

Not to mention that cold water on my hands hurts.....

Re: Cold hands

[dialecticdreamer]

Yeah, it hurts... but I'm such a tactile cook that it's worth it. *G*

I was taught to use two butter knives to cut the fat into the flour mixture, as well, a trick which is handy when in someone else's kitchen. Something to consider the next time the pastry cutter is put away in the wrong spot!

Most important though, is to have fun and enjoy the results!

probably a dumb question

[thnidu]

Have you tried gloves? Potholders? Dry washcloths or dish towels?

Re: probably a dumb question

[mama_kestrel]

I have, but I can't feel what I'm doing well enough to control speed/pressure. It's a bit of a pain, but what does seem to work is to load a couple of small disposable pastry bags with the same color, then keep one in the freezer and switch tips back and forth as each warms up too much.

[antisocialite_forum]

Not the only one. Decisions made with stuff in the house's kitchen typically include "Okay, I can make whipped cream with a whisk and a bowl, or I can blow up a plastic bag, shake it up in there, and then clip a corner to pour it for less time and hassle" and "I could use a hand mixer, but that's in the cupboard and I'll have assemble and clean it, and forks are just as good for a bit more work". Along with considerations with how many bowls there are, how much washing is going to be needed, etc.

Of course, if it's something like meringues the hand mixer is useful. But the cleanup means they don't get made often.

\o/ Scones!

- YM

No ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> Am I the only person on the planet who still thinks in terms of how long it takes to set up and clean up these amazing gadgets? <<

I have a fancy tea maker that I almost never use for that reason. Doug feels the same about the deep-fryer. I think we have a food processor somewhere.

But we love the fuck out of our spice grinder, because it is so much faster and easier than hand-grating ginger or whatever.

For dry spices, I use a mortar and pestle.

[siliconshaman]

You're not the only one.. 9 out of 10 times they're more trouble than their worth. [but it's worthwhile having one around for that 10th time!]

Besides, there's something inherently more satisfactory about making them by hand... provided you don't have to if you don't want to.

[mama_kestrel]

A food processor is great for things like party-sized batches of hummus, or grating 10 pounds of apples at once for charoset at Passover. That's why I own one. But for a single batch of scones that will be devoured before bedtime? Why bother?

[thnidu]

I have a mini-processor I use for things like smoothies. As long as I'm using temporary dentures, it's a good idea to have food that's nourishing & tasty, and requires no chewing.

[mama_kestrel]

That makes all kinds of sense. I have a mini-blender I use the same way.