When following a recipe, what does it mean to "cut in the butter"?

Question

Please see the original context @ http://www.recipezaar.com/43509

Thanks!

Answer 1

it means to take two butter knives and to use them like scissors and crumble the butter into your mixture.. They make a little tool for this that makes it easier though it has a handle on it, and then it has blades that curve and you can use that...


EDIT: I found this on it...
How to ‘Cut In’ Butter
Cut butter into pats and let come to room temperature.

Put the butter into flour mixture. Hold a regular flatware knife in your left hand with the point facing towards the right. Hold the other one in your right hand with the point facing left. Put the knives into the butter and flour and pull your right hand back towards the right and your left hand back towards the left at the same time. Repeat, turning your work bowl from time to time, until you get little bits of flour and butter.

That’s how professional chefs do it, but it’s not the only way.

Answer 2

That means that you'll need to get the butter in really small pieces. There are a couple ways to do this. You can buy a utensil to do this. It's usually half-moon shaped with a wooden handle and the moon is a number of wires that "cut" through the butter and mixes it with the other ingredient in the bowl. Or the cheaper way would be to use two knives and drag them across the bowl in an opposite direction until the butter is all in small pieces all mixed with the ingredients. I find the easiest thing to do this is to get the butter up to not quite room-temperature (so it holds it shape and doesn't just smear) and then cut it into smaller pieces first (a little larger than a pat of butter) and then go at it. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

The butter should be rather cold when it's being cut into flour. Texture to create is similar to what corn meal looks like. You don't want a paste or doughy result, but a dry and crumbly result. Also, don't touch the butter too much with your hands as your body heat will soften the butter too much. a fork or pastry blender are easy to use when cutting the butter in.

Answer 4

You'll understand when you start to make the topping. It simply means to add the butter a few pieces at a time. Since you are making a crumble topping you want the butter to be fairly cold.
Cutting in butter has nothing to do with the melted butter you are using in the muffins themselves.
And when you are making a crumble topping the best tool is your hands!

Answer 5

Cutting Butter Into Dry Ingredients

When cutting fat into the dry ingredients, it is important that the butter is chilled so that it doesn’t melt. Butter is best cut into dry ingredients with a pastry blender, a stainless steel device that consists of a series of curved rigid wires attached to a handle. Push the wires into the butter-flour mixture, using your fingers to push out clumps that accumulate. The purpose of this procedure is to coat the flour particles with butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. As the butter melts during baking, the moisture contained in it produces steam, which gives these breads a flaky, tender crumb.

Answer 6

It means that you should not melt the better you should take the portion that the recipe calls for and add it to the other ingredients in increments until it is all added together. Do not add it all at once. For example, if it calls for one stick of butter, you can cut it into fourths and then add one cube at a time stirring the other ingredients until all four are added equally through your ingredients. I hope this helps.

Answer 7

There is a kitchen tool to cut in butter. You can use a fork or butter knife too. Dont use a mixer. So basically add the butter into the mixture with a fork.

Answer 8

It means to simply add the melted butter a little at a time until the mixture begins to take on a crumbly appearance. Basically allowing the mixture to absorb the butter thoroughly throughout the mixutre as you toss in while adding the melted butter.

Answer 9

the butter needs to be softened, but not melty. then you add it in little bit by bit (about a tablespoon at a time) and mix thoroughly with a rubber spatula or spoon so you don't get butter clumps or have one dry ingredient "soak it up" faster than the rest. it just makes for a smoother mix without whipping the heck out of it

Answer 10

Take a sharp knife in each hand; draw across shortening from both (opposite) sides. The idea is to cut into smaller & smaller pieces, so that each is coated in flour. There is also a special tool with multiple blades, for doing this.