food processor help...

[615bride]

I am hoping to get a food processor for Christmas but until then, how do I know what really requires a food processor? For example, the Snickers cheesecake recipe asks you to blend the cheese in a food processor. What if you don't have one? I have a blender, hand mixer and KitchenAid stand mixer. Would any of those work?
Thanks...

[tracey67]

Well, I don't have the recipe in front of me, but I'd say it's safe to assume that your stand mixer will work just fine. I've never known a cheesecake recipe where you couldn't use your mixer to blend the cream cheese. In fact, I would say that with a blender, a stand mixer, and a good knife you can probably tackle any recipe out there. Your blender will mix things together that might also need chopping. The stand mixer can handle anything from blending cream cheese, to mixing cookie dough, to kneading bread dough, to whipping egg whites or cream. And a good knife will be able to chop anything that the processor might be called for. In some cases, the job might be done a little more quickly or easily with a processor, but I'd say that you'll survive just fine without it.

[615bride]

thanks Tracey. I was concerned about that recipe because it calls for two cups of cottage cheese and I was worried about it being lumpy without a food processor. Any thoughts?

[Gail]

I don't have the recipe handy so I can't comment upon it.

BUT, please keep in mind that in the world of cooking, the food processor is a relative infant. Our mothers (strike that-- I have the feeling I'm old enough to be YOUR mother) MY mother didn't have one and managed to turn out perfectly fine meals and baked products. Certain things got crushed by hand or with the help of a rolling pin, other things could be ground with a mortar and pestle. If you needed to puree something, maybe you were lucky enough to have a blender. For other jobs (chopping and slicing) a good sharp chef's knife would do the job-- it simply takes longer.

Now, we all have our different methods of cooking and different things we enjoy cooking-- so I CAN'T give you a universal answer. For me, a food processor is a luxury, not a necessity. I got along just fine without one for years-- and most of the time I use it, it's simply because I'm pressed for time. Yes, I've got a full-sized processor, as well as a mini-processor-- but to be perfectly frank, my full-sized Cuisinart spends most of its time in its drawer.

[tracey67]

Aha...cottage cheese. I think you're right to worry about chunks. For that I would first use your blender to blend it to a smooth consistency, then...if it needs to be mixed with regular cream cheese, transfer the blended cottage cheese to your stand mixer, add the cream cheese and mix away!

Oh...and if you make it...let us know how it was -- we have alot of dessert fiends on this board who are always looking for a new sweet fix.

[JaneStarr]

I'm not sure what modifications I made to the original CL recipe, but this uses cottage cheese in a blender. I do remember trying to make this with FF cottage cheese once and having it come out too lumpy. I think that I may have used my ancient, crummy food processor that time instead of the blender. My experience is that the cottage cheese comes out smoother from the blender.

Jane
* Exported from MasterCook *

Chocolate Mint Cheesecake Cups - 1 Point

Recipe By :Cooking Light -- modified by JaneStarr
Serving Size : 24 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Desserts Lowfat
Tried And True

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
6 ounces light cream cheese -- 3/4 of 8-oz brick
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2 tablespoons creme de menthe
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Egg Beaters® 99% egg substitute -- or
1 large egg
1 tablespoon semisweet chocolate chips -- mini chips

Directions:

Place all ingredients in blender except mini-chips. Cover and process until smooth.

Spoon batter evenly into 24 paper-lined miniature muffin pans (I prefer the foils ones, if available -- easier to remove finished cupcakes from foil wrappers.

Top each with 4 to 5 mini-chips.

Bake at 300*F for 18 minutes.

Let cool in pans on a wire rack. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.


Original Source: Cooking Light YEAR: 1990 ISSUE: Jul/Aug PAGE: 66

Original recipe called for one egg, but I've had good luck with FF egg substitute.
When I tried this recipe with FF cottage cheese, the texture became unpleasantly grainy.

For some reason I had much better results using a blender than using my ancient food processor.

Nutritional info from MasterCook:
50 calories, 1.5g fat (29%CFF), 0.1g fiber

Weight Watcher Points:1

These were my favorite treats to bring to gatherings when I was actively losing weight.

Source:
"Original Source: Cooking Light YEAR: 1990 ISSUE: Jul/Aug PAGE: 66"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 50 Calories; 1g Fat (28.7% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 4mg Cholesterol; 74mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2130706543 0