Q re: making cookie dough

[Anonymous]

I do not own a stand mixer. Every recipe i find for sugar cookie dough says to mix ingredients with a mixer. Can I use a hand mixer instead, or is it not powerful enough? I have a small hand mixer which works fine for cake mix and other thin mixes. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I always use my stand mixer, but if you make sure to let the butter soften (room temp), you will be able to cream the butter & sugar together with a hand mixer just fine. That's the part that really requires a mixer - you can mix the flour/dry ingredients by hand if you need to.

[Anonymous]

Most you can use a hand mixer. But if it is really stiff dough - be careful - I have blown out a hand mixer (aka - smoke comes out the side).

[Anonymous]

You can definitely use a hand mixer. You can even use your hand! Like a PP said, just soften the butter.

[Anonymous]

I don't have a stand mixer either. I use a pastry blender (which you can get just about anywhere for $10 or so) to get the butter and flour mix somewhat manageable and then I just use my hands. I figure that people made cookies before there were mixers, so no biggie. They have always turned out great! Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all of your replies - and PP, of course you are right I am not a confident baker or cook and I tend to psych myself out about cooking/baking things I've never tried before simply b/c I don't have the "right" equipment.

[Anonymous]

I don't even have a hand mixer, I usually use a wisk and my hands..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all of your replies - and PP, of course you are right I am not a confident baker or cook and I tend to psych myself out about cooking/baking things I've never tried before simply b/c I don't have the "right" equipment.

OP, I am like you. I hate it when the recipe starts out with "In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment..." I usually just move on and look for something else. Usually those recipes are somehow related to the Martha Stewart empire.

[Anonymous]

Hand mixer is fine.

[Anonymous]

You can definitely use a hand mixer - I'd probably switch to a spatula to stir in the last of the ingredients if the dough is a stiff one. I do this with the last of the flour when I'm making sugar or chocolate chip cookies without my stand mixer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do not own a stand mixer. Every recipe i find for sugar cookie dough says to mix ingredients with a mixer. Can I use a hand mixer instead, or is it not powerful enough? I have a small hand mixer which works fine for cake mix and other thin mixes. Thanks!

I never used a stand or hand mixer until I got married at 38 and got them for wedding presents. A always mixed my cookies by hand and they always came out great. Whipped cream and merengues excluded