# Creaming butter manually



## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

It's the first time I ever done this and geeeeezzzz, are my hands tired from creaming 4 oz (1 stick) of butter with 2 oz of sugar. MY HANDS ACHE. I'm using Ruhlmans recipe for sugar cookies using the 1:2:3 ratio of sugar:butter:flour. My hands ache. Just an observation! I'm tired! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smoking.gif

Would a small and reliable mixer work here?


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

Why are you doing this by hand, kokopuffs? If you have a mixer. I';ve done it often because i often cook at other people's houses who don;t have mixers, and also i didn;t have a mixer the first years here, and i made everything by hand. I have very strong hands, though.

I learned some tricks, which i can share.

I never (i mean never) plan in advance enough to keep the butter out to room temp. So i would always heat the bowl by running hot water on the underside of it (not getting any inside).

Then i'd begin by squashing the butter with a fork, or cutting it up, and then squashing it with a fork.

If you have a microwave with a watt setting, set it to 90 and get the butter soft that way, but i only got a micro about ten years ago.

when the butter is somewhat squashed against the bowl, hold it sideways so the hot water runs over the bottom only, or put it a moment quickly into a pot of hot water, like a bain marie, but only for a second. It will melt a little of it but you mix them together and it becomes soft butter.

Then (THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT) *don't beat by hand on a kitchen counter, or your arms will ache more. Put the bowl on the kitchen table, *that way your arms are not raised and you don;t have to hold them up as you beat, making it doubly hard work.

Sometimes i whip cream or egg whjites by hand just not to bother with the mixer, or if the bowl of the mixer is dirty or being used. But always on the kitchen table)


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

@Siduri:  thanks for the tips and I sold my mixer long ago since it wasn't being used at the time.


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

Since it seems you're doing a lot of baking lately, you might want to get even a cheaper hand held one. Or, you could keep beating by hand and then develop some fine hand and arm muscles and win an arm wrestling contest or something. I sometimes think, as i carry ten heavy shopping bags from the store to the house, that people pay lots of money to lift weights, and if they wanted they could pay ME to carry the shopping and i'd give them a discount. Heck, i'd even let them do it for free! Put an ad at the local gym - free arm and hand strengthening exercises. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Try a food processor


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

I wished that I never sold my Kenwood mixer. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/eek.gif

And thanks for all of the tips.

Yes, I allowed my butter to reach room temperature overnight on the countertop.
I find creaming butter more easily achieved using a bowl with vertical as opposed to slant walls.
I'm considering a small mixer or even food processor just for making occasional whipped cream and creaming butters and I realize that the food processor doesn't make whipped cream (that I know of)
Again thanks.


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## soesje (Dec 6, 2012)

yes my food processor makes whipped cream, it comes with a bowl with attachments for doing so.

but I do everything by hand......even at my job....


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

chefedb said:


> Try a food processor


Which brand or model do you recommend for home use?


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

If you've lived without a food processor, kp, and you're doing all this baking, i would suggest a mixer.  I never had a food processor.  Takes up lots of space, a pain  to wash, and i don;t miss it. 

I wouldn't want to have to live without a kitchenaid again though.  It's specifically for baking. 

Before i could get a kitchen aid, i had a small braun hand-held mixer.  it was ok.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

The best around is Robo Cous  but its commercial only and very expensive but it will outlive you.. Look for the one with the most powerful motor, and that is slightly heavy. Cuisanart used to make a good one probably still do as they are quality oriented. Contrary to what you read here,  they are much easier then a mixer to clean, and can do more things. I even use mine to sift flour.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

chefedb said:


> The best around is Robo Cous but its commercial only and very expensive but it will outlive you.. Look for the one with the most powerful motor, and that is slightly heavy. Cuisanart used to make a good one probably still do as they are quality oriented. Contrary to what you read here, they are much easier then a mixer to clean, and can do more things. I even use mine to sift flour.


Sift flour, how? /img/vbsmilies/smilies/surprised.gif


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

If you need to sift flour, you really just have to whisk it.  It breaks up the lumps.  (Of course, sometimes you need a sieve.   When i was sifting flour with a sieve my mother in law told me "you don;t have to sift that flour, it's new, there won't be any bugs in it" - that was not what i was thinking, but it makes me think - if you sift to eliminate bugs, which might be necessary if you get your flour loose from a mill, then you need a sieve and no processor or whisk will do.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

Probably a small mixer will be quite suitable for what I want to do:  the occasional whipped cream, meringue and, of course, creamed butter.  And I dread the day when Arthur (itis) takes up residence and the mixer used for making dough.  8(


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

Let's hope mr Itis is kept from your door.  Meanwhile a nice hand-held machine could be fine.  Get one with a good motor. 

I do use the dough hook to knead dough, however much i do enjoy kneading.  But i also have a very demanding job and the fact that i'm making bread at all is an achievement!


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

What is an excellent hand held mixer in terms of durability and ability?


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

I haven;t had a hand held mixer for over 40 years. My braun worked very well, but it wasn;t that strong. Anyway, the brands are all different here. Philips is usually cheap and reliable for everything. But maybe you should ask in the equipment forum. That way all the gadget people will flock to answer you /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif


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## jynyphyr (Apr 8, 2011)

I do a lot of creaming by hand and it can take a while to build up the strength.  I whenever the butter can be soft, or at room temperature, it is better.  I like to use a good wooden spoon.  At first you are mushing it more than really beating it, but as it gets softer you can beat it more.  I think it's good to make cookies this way so you don't over cream the butter and sugar.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

Jynyphyr said:


> ... I think it's good to make cookies this way so you don't over cream the butter and sugar.


I never knew that creaming butter + sugar could be overdone.


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## jynyphyr (Apr 8, 2011)

In cookies over creaming the butter and sugar can cause them to spread too much and it can make cake very crumbly.  The butter can get very soft, and sort of melt.  Then it will coat the structure building elements and affect the structure.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

Jynyphyr said:


> In cookies over creaming the butter and sugar can cause them to spread too much and it can make cake very crumbly. The butter can get very soft, and sort of melt. Then it will coat the structure building elements and affect the structure.


It would appear, then, once creamed, the butter sugar mixture could be chilled (EDIT) to prevent crumbling.


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