What can I use in place of a pastry blender/cutter to make a pie crust?

Question

I don't own one of those things that makes mashing the ingredients easy. Is there any other way to cut the ingredients together and have it still turn out?

John A- I am making it from scratch, lol! I just remember my grandmother using one of those metal utensils that you hold in one hand that "slices and cuts" through the flour and shortening blending it really easy. I just don't have one and was wondering if it would still turn out if I used a fork or a whisk or something. Your ideas where still good though!!

Answer 1

Truth be told if you want to do it the old fashioned way you should do it by hand. DON'T soften your butter. Just pinch into small pieces and drop them into your flour. Make sure they are coated completely. Then break them down into the desired size. Make sure that everything stays cold. If you don't your crust will not be flaky Put a bowl of ice under your bowl you are working in and make sure you are quick your body heat will melt the butter very quickly. If things get a little warm put the it all in the refrigerator for a minute. When you add your water add it slowly. Then toss the mixture instead of mixing it.

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What can I use in place of a pastry blender/cutter to make a pie crust?
I don't own one of those things that makes mashing the ingredients easy. Is there any other way to cut the ingredients together and have it still turn out?

Answer 3

Hi !!!
I have made pie crusts all the above ways & I still say that there is no substitute for using a pastry cutter...the pie crusts always turns out better than using those other ways. I would just go out & buy a pastry cutter & be done with ever having to "make-do" with alternative & less effective methods.

Answer 4

I hated having to wait until my butter/margarine was soft enough to use in winter and then rubbing it into the flour, so I came up with this idea which has ALWAYS been a complete success. Since the invention of microwaves back in the early 70's, I have placed my butter/margarine into the bowl with flour and 'nuked' for 1 minute. This makes the butter/margarine very soft and easy to work through the flour with a long tined fork. Once it is worked through and resembles fine breadcrumbs (usually less than a minute) I used cold water to mix both ingredients together. The result was also perfect. I NEVER used my hands - as I discovered as a young bride, that this causes your pastry (or scone mix) to become rock hard.

Answer 5

What Is A Pastry Blender

Answer 6

A whisk or fork will not work properly for this task. You are "cutting" the flour into the butter. This makes flour coated pieces of butter, not blended flour and butter. This is why you use chilled butter and not softened butter. This step should be done as quickly as possible to keep the butter in a solid state. Use the knife method that was previously mentioned.

Answer 7

Get two knives, I find that sharp ones work best, and cross them like this: x, hold the handles and saw back and forth still crossed, and cut the butter that way.
tip: Never soften the butter too much!! It has to be still relatively hard for this to work! I can't tell you how many piecrusts I have ruined with softening the butter too much!!!
good luck and happy baking!

Answer 8

May sound funny but I actually used a potato masher lol

Answer 9

Use 2 table knives to cut up the dough.

Answer 10

I have a better solution than that, you can buy pie crust, ready to use ,in the frozen deserts section of your favorite store, or you can do it the old fashioned way ...from scratch,mixing in a bowl, rolling out the dough etc. ..good luck