A food processor is one of the major and recommended substitutes for the conventional pie cutters. But if you have ever thought of using a blender to prepare a pie crust, then you haven’t gone overboard.
Can You Use A Blender Instead Of A Food Processor For Pie Crust? Yes! You can make a pie crust using a pastry blender (like this one on Amazon) instead of a food processor.
Just like the food processor, a blender will do the perfect job when used to make pie crust. However, one must be able to know how to use a blender to prepare pie crust before even attempting it.
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The key difference in using a pastry blender instead of a food processor to make pie crust
Let me quickly set the difference between these two appliances so that we can judge from their features as to which is really ideal.
A blender (Pastry blender) is constructed in such a way that fat is distributed evenly throughout the thought by a wire fastened on each side to a handle.
Pastry blenders is a specific device used in the kitchen to handle pastry dough. It mixes solid fat with dry ingredients.
People who have a food processor already and can not afford to buy a pastry blender can use a food processor as well as other methods to prepare pie crust which I will show you later in this article.
What a food processor does is that it mixes dry ingredients when they are poured into the container in a matter of 5 to 10 seconds.
Once you place the fat into the food processor and secure the lid, the food processor will turn it into a mealy texture after 6 times of pulsing the ingredients.
This, a pastry blender will also do. And even perfectly well. That is why we can conclude that they can be used to prepare pie crust instead of a food processor.
I have also had people asking if normal blenders we use in the kitchen can be used in replacement of pastry blenders. Well, do you think so? Let’s find out.
Why normal blenders can’t be used for making pie crust
Needless to say, both blenders are two different appliances. One can be used to convert Hard ingredients to powder or smooth, soft texture while the other is used only for anything dough.
Pastry blenders have been designed to spread fat with dry ingredients which a normal blender can obviously not do.
There are other great substitutes to using a pastry blender but definitely not a normal blender. Some people use their fingertips to do the job because they have a special touch.
As a matter of fact, when it comes to mixing dough and making pie crust, the type of blender that should come to one’s mind is a pastry blender.
Now that you know that a pastry blender can be used instead of a food processor when making pie crust, I will now show you why and how you can use the device properly.
Also in this article, we will look at various factors surrounding the concept of using blender for pie crust.
The truth is that many people see it scary to make pie crust at home. But it is not supposed to be sure. As a matter of fact, I embrace DIY food preparation.
That is why I thought of a way of showing you how you can use a blender to make a perfect pie crust without doing any mess.
Making a perfect pie crust with a blender
So how do you make a perfect pie crust with the use of a blender? Will it work? Is the process simple? How effective?. Let’s find out.
With these steps provided here, you need not be any longer intimidated by those professionals who sell them. To you outside or the TV host at those cooking shows.
It is time to learn how to make our own pie crust using a blender.
Let me quickly mention that choosing a quality blender is the best thing to do. While they may come expensive, it is better to splurge on quality than trash.
I have also noticed that most people have more difficulty when it comes to ruling dough. To these are some little tips or instructions that will help in that.
- If your work surface is a shelving or wooden structure, make sure it is even, flat and smooth. Also, flour the work-surface and your rolling pin generously before placing the dough down on it.
- I also advise that you roll in alternate directions so that you will be able to keep a circle-ish shape to your dough. Something like rolling toward you, away from you to the right side, left side and repeat. You can repeat this process since you have attained the size you want.
- The dough should be Rolled in about the size of 1/4. Preferably pretty thin.
- If you want to be sure that the dough is big enough, simply Place your pie pan lightly on top of the rolled out dough. I’d personally prefer that it is larger than my pan around 1 inch.
- After using flavour rolling pin to roll the dough, pick it up and place it in such a way that the edge is all the way over to one side of the pan. This should be done very gently and quickly. Afterwards, allow to lay gently over the pan but pull it out.
- You can now pick up each edge gently. But make sure the crust sits all the way down into the bottom corners of the pan before laying it back down.
- Finally, Trim or tuck in the edges and make them pretty. You can do this by crimping with your fingers or pressing a fork around the edges. Both are very easy to do.
So at this point, you are ready to fill and back your pie.
Why you should make pie crust at home
Mastering how to make your own pie crust at home is something you will appreciate yourself for. My first time preparing a pie crust in a blender was horrible, even after watching various YouTube guides on how to prepare a pie crust.
But I do not want you to make some mistakes I make by ignoring the opportunity to learn and take advantage.
When you consider the cost, healthfulness, and readiness of preparing a pie crust, you will definitely go for learning the DIY than buying from elsewhere.
With a blender and some necessary ingredients, you can make a perfect pie crust conveniently at home. You also get a top-crust when you prepare them at home. This gives it so many points in Favour.
Making pie crust at home is actually something you can learn easier and faster. Depends on how often you prepare them after learning.
It may sound pretty daunting and labour demanding, afterall, one could get it just anywhere around.
But when you boost out of those beginners’ thinking, you are surprised at the way you improve in making delicious pie crust for your family or friend.
And since Pie crust can also be frozen, it becomes super convenient to me. By simply making use of what we need, and then freezing the rest of the dough in portions, we can get a professional result.
When it comes to choosing a very good pastry blender, most cooks tend to make a very big mistake of going for lesser quality.
I was once a victim of this until I came up with ways I can examine the quality of a good pastry blender before buying. This, you should always do too.
While surfing the internet for good pastry blenders that one can use to make pie crust I stumbled upon the HULISANI 9 Pcs Pastry Cutter Set, And the features if the device caught my eyes.
Since I have been reading about pastry blenders, I’ve not seen any as good as this one.
As a family cook, you may want to have a complete set of pastry appliances in your kitchen all stored in a particular box so that whenever the need arises to use any of the tools, like a pastry blender, you can easily access.
The HULISANI 9 Pcs Pastry Cutter Set is a complete set of dough tools which includes Dough Blender, 5 Pieces Biscuit Cutters, Pastry Scraper, Rolling Pin, 6 Pieces Measuring Spoons, Egg Separator, Silicone Baking Mat, Pastry Brush, Spatulas.
Above all, you will definitely want this when you consider buying all the tools it contains individually.
Apart from the high-quality material that it is made of (stainless steel), the HULISANI 9 Pcs Pastry Cutter Set appliances come with accurate measurements that will save you the hassle of measuring dough.
It can be gifted to any of your family members or friends who you know would appreciate it. I believe this is a set of pastry making tools that no cook would want to ignore.
It holds, not only a pastry grinder but all other equipment you will need to make a wonderful pie crust.