Scarbrough Mark - Turbo blender dessert revolution: more than 140 recipes for pies, ice creams, cakes, brownies, gluten-free treats, and more from high-horsepower, high-RPM blenders

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WELCOME TO A FASTER, EASIER, AND OFTEN BETTER WAY OF MAKING DESSERTS! (HEALTHIER, TOO, IN SOME CASESBUT WELL GET TO THAT.) YOU PROBABLY THOUGHT YOU PURCHASED THAT HIGH-HORSEPOWER, HIGH-RPM BLENDER FOR MAKING ALL SORTS OF SMOOTHIES. YOU MAY HAVE EVEN GONE IN FOR JUICING VEGETABLES TO WHIP UP SNACKS OR ON-THE-GO MEALS. BUT LITTLE DID YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE THAT MACHINE CAN DO! YOURE ABOUT TO TURN THAT BLENDER INTO THE BEST TOOL FOR MAKING CREAM PIES, CHEESECAKES, AND GINGERBREAD. YOURE ALSO ABOUT TO DISCOVER SOME OF THE MOST EXCITING RECIPES WEVE EVER CREATED. AND AFTER PUBLISHING OVER 12,000, THATS SAYING SOMETHING!

Right up front, lets make sure were on the same page with the equipment. For these recipes, you need a blender with a high horsepower motor (over 2.0) that spins the blades at high rpms. It must do so fast enough and powerfully enough to 1) grind grains and 2) heat soups. The instruction booklet for your machine will highlight both features. Were not talking about standard blenders, or even about high-end blenders sold at specialty kitchenware stores that have high-horsepower motors but fairly standard rpms. These may be able to make flour but they cannot heat liquids by the sheer friction of their blades. If your blender can do both, youre in.

You already know these turbo blenders can grind wheat berries into flour. But thats only half the story. Just add chocolate, butter, sugar, and eggs to that flour in the canister, turn the machine on, and youve got a brownie batter in seconds. (Seconds. Literally.) Pour the batter into a pan and bake them up. Then do the same thing for blondies. And scones. And muffins. And sheet cakes. And layer cakes. Now you know why you bought that blender!

Before now, a lot of turbo blender recipes asked you to grind grains in a separate, special canister, then pour the flour into a bowl and continue on making a batter the way you always do, often with an electric mixer in hand. But we dont need a special canister. We dont need an electric mixer. We dont even need another bowl. Well make most of these desserts in the standard canister, the one that comes with every machine.

Sold? Brownies and layer cakes are just the start! Because the blades spin at a furious rate, we can actually get a custard to its set point in that same canister. Just throw together milk, eggs, and flavorings. Voil: pudding. Or a cream pie filling, ready to pour into a graham-cracker crust. Or a panna cotta, that classic Italian dessert. Or just about the creamiest cheesecake around.

And theres still more! Make a slightly thinner custard in the machine, put that covered canister in the fridge, chill the whole thing for a few hours, and pour it into your ice cream maker. Whos up for Butter Pecan? Or Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream? Or Cracker Jack? And we havent even mentioned pancakes and waffles. Or popovers. Or no-bake cheesecakes. Or fruit cobblers. Youre going to have that turbo blender out on the counter all the time!

Yes, were changing the way you bake. But we wont call for a specific brand of blender. Instead, well work across a range. So we need you to commit to a few things. Here are six basic questions you need to answer:

How do you operate the various settings? Know how to turn the machine from high to low speed. In general, were talking about knowing how to make the blades spin their fastest and to make them whir along at a lower, more moderate rate.

How can you keep the machine on for as long as youll need? Some machines just turn on and off with a switch; others have preset speeds for soups, smoothies, etc. Learn how to override these presets to make the blades spin for as long as the recipe states. In some cases, you need to push the fastest-setting preset button again whenever it times out.

How do you pulse the machine on and off? Its often required in these recipes. Most machines pulse at the highest speedwhich is fine for our purposes.

Does the lids center knob have vents at its edge or elsewhere? In some models, the lid fits securely on the canister without any venting holes or gaps. This will be a problem. You must set that plastic knob askew when things get very hot inside the canister to prevent an explosion of custard across your kitchen. Do not just bump up one corner. Set the knob at a diagonal over the center opening. Or remove the knob entirely and lay a clean kitchen towel over the opening.

Does the machine come with a tamper you can insert through the center hole in the lid? If yours does, youll use that specially designed tool to help blend thicker doughs and batters. If not, youll need to resort to a slightly more involved technique: stop the machine repeatedly, scraping down the inside of the canister with a rubber spatula and readjusting the ingredients inside until the batter or dough becomes uniform (or gets to the consistency the recipe indicates). Well tell you when you need to do what. You must know your options.

How do you clean the canister? For some models, you add water to a specific mark, then add a little liquid detergent before covering and blending at high speed. Others can go straight into the dishwasher.

Since were inventing a new way to make desserts, there are some subtle and even a few profound changes in the ways these recipes will appear on the page. Weve addressed specific concerns in the chapter and section introductions throughout. Dont neglect these! We cant accomplish everything in the headnotes to each recipe. Come prepared.

Most are standard items in a bakers pantry: chocolate chips, cornstarch, cornmeal, baking soda, and the like. Here are four straight off that need further explanation.