I finally got my KitchenAid mixer! I have questions...

[food girl]

Some of you may remember my disappointment with my "gift" from my MIL, but I now have a bright, shiny, RED KitchenAid Ultra Power mixer. I have made cookies, bread and pizza crust. Ahhhhhhh

How do you convert from knead for x minutes to using the dough hook?

What are some nifty tricks I can do with my new toy?

Happily covered in flour,
Lisa

[schuh]

Oooh, red...
They didn't have my favorite color when I got mine (cobalt blue). I'm green with envy!
Enjoy!
I really can't give you any tips, other than use it (with flat beater) for any ground beef mixture -- meatballs, meat loaf, etc. Much neater than using your hands.

[Beth]

Check the book that came with your mixer, but I think most loaves would knead in about 5 minutes. You can let it go for a few minutes and stop to check the feel of the dough and its elasticity.

[catharine]

I have a kitchen-aid mixer question, too. I hope you guys can help.

I just got mine and have been using it constantly. I have noticed, however, that it doesn't always mix completely because the beaters don't touch the bowl and therefore I wind up with unmixed stuff on the bottom. This was a problem when I made banana cupcakes because the sugary banana mixture was on the bottom and when I put the batter into the pan, some of it wasn't completely mixed and I wound up with half of my cupcakes being hard and sticky.

Any thoughts? I have started taking the bowl out, scraping the sides and bottom, and continuing to mix, but this seems like it might be an unnecessary extra step.

[Luv to Cook]

Hi Catharine,

Actually what you described is exactly what I do. I don't necessarily take the bowl out, but I always scrape.

Have fun with your mixer!

[funnybone]

Originally posted by catharine:
I have noticed, however, that it doesn't always mix completely because the beaters don't touch the bowl and therefore I wind up with unmixed stuff on the bottom.

If you look at your instructions, I believe it tells you that you can adjust something in case you have that problem. I remember reading it in my manual, but don't have that problem. Check the kitchenaid web site, they may have some FAQ's there as well.

[Beth]

JLK, I saw that my nonfat dried milk had instuctions for whipping, so I guess you can even whip that. It's a more concentrated form than what you would mix to drink. I haven't tried it yet, but would probably add a little more vanilla to it than I would for real cream.

The older mixers had to be taken to a shop and left for a week or two for adjustment (which is why I went several more years after a new one wasn't adjusted properly and got returned instead or serviced). I think anything made in the last 5 or more years can be adjusted at home. I usually scrape the sides of the bowl and down to the bottom half way through the mixing just to make sure.

[GayeC]

My experience has been that you generally knead dough about half the time called for by hand. I, too, would test the dough to see how it feels. Five minutes usually seems about right. Have fun! Gaye

[JLK]

I HAVE JUST BOUGHT A KITCHENAID MIXER TOO http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif I LOVE IT!! I MADE COOKIES AND IT WAS SO FAST. AS FAR AS NOT GETTING ALL THE BATTER MIXED YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BEATER IS NOT TOUCHING THE BOTTOM BUT VERY CLOSE TO IT. YOU CAN ADJUST IT ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE BOOK; I DID IT AND IT WAS SIMPLE. YOU STILL MAY NEED TO USE A SPATULA.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY GOOD LOW FAT RECIPES THAT I CAN USE WITH THE MIXER? I'M ESPECIALLY LOOKING FOR A WAY TO MAKE A LOWER FAT WHIPPED CREAM; IS THIS POSSIBLE?