Can I make my crumble topping in a mixer?
I have a basic crumb topping that I use to top fruit crumbles. It consists of 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup flour, and 1/2 cup margarine. I like to make it in big batches and freeze in individual bags in the freezer so that I can just pull it out and sprinkle it on top of the fruit whenever I need it. The trouble is that the recipe calls for it to be made by hand, and I really really dislike making it... My hands end up hurting badly for a while after, and it takes a long time to get the margarine off.
Can I make it in a stand mixer or would that affect the quality? I would probably use a cookie paddle to mix it.
Best Answer
You could use just about anything to mix that, a food processor, a mixer, a stand mixer (just about any attachment), even a blender would work in pulses. Freezing it too will work just fine. Just move fast because any of those methods will create heat, and heat will melt butter. As long as your ingredients are mixed and your butter (margarine) isn't melted, you're golden.
Pictures about "Can I make my crumble topping in a mixer?"
Quick Answer about "Can I make my crumble topping in a mixer?"
In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with Flat Beater, add all-purpose flour, caster sugar and butter. Mix until the butter is mixed in and the batter starts to come together and form clumps. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the fruit.What tool do you use to mix the crumb topping?
You can make streusel topping in a number of ways: you can use your fingers to cut in the cold butter, or two knives, but the easiest way I know, especially if you are making a sizable amount is to use the food processor.Can you use a mixer to rub in butter?
Butter should be cold when cutting in butter, and the heat from your fingers will soften the butter, which may result in a pastry that is not as flaky or tender as you desire. A Stand or Hand Mixer - A stand mixer or hand mixer also isn't the right tool for cutting in butter.How do you make a crumble with a food processor?
Slow and steady wins the crisp and crumble race. Baking in a moderate (350-375\u02daF) gives the fruit time to break down into that saucy goodness. Go too hot and the crumble topping with get too dark before the fruit is ready.Crumble Topping Recipe for ANY FRUIT PIE!
More answers regarding can I make my crumble topping in a mixer?
Answer 2
I use a pastry blender to make my white sugar / flour / butter crumble topping. Works like a charm and much easier on the hands. This is not an electrical device:
It helps to use a table knife to get hard butter out from between the tines from time to time (I don't poke between the tines, just run the knife around the inside curve then the outside curve.) It's neater and faster than entirely hand-mixing with your fingers, and less likely to melt the butter. It's also quicker to clean than your mixer.
Answer 3
Wire whisks also can be used in lieu of pastry blenders if mechanically stable enough (stomp, don't stir). Also, the standard whisks from a hand mixer tend to do crumbles quite well (in this case stir don't stomp - and do not overfill the mixing bowl, hand mixer whisks are good at propelling things very far if they can :). Recipe might have to be tuned in both cases. BTW, freezing the crumbles and applying them frozen straight before baking sounds like one of these occasions where freezing improves texture!
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Plato Terentev, Arina Krasnikova, Rachel Claire, Polina Tankilevitch