Recipe Tips

The simple recipes that follow include some old Cuisinart favorites as well as some creative combinations that are sure to please your friends and family. Thanks to the superior ice crushing power of the SmartPower™ Electronic Blender, you’ll also be able to make delicious frozen drinks.

•Chopping Nuts: Pulse ½ cup of nuts (shells removed) on chop 4 to 5 times. Turn blender off; scrape blender jar with spatula. Turn blender on and pulse on chop 2-3 times. Turn blender off. Pulse fewer times for more coarsely chopped results. For best results, process no more than 1 cup at a time.

•Bread, Cookie or Cracker Crumbs: For best results, use day old bread (drier bread works best). Break bread slices into ½ inch pieces, and process no more than 1 cup of pieces at a time on mix for 5 to 10 seconds. Crackers and cookies should also be broken into ½ inch pieces; process 1 cup at a time on mix for 10 to 15 seconds. Turn blender off.

•Crushing Ice: Add up to 10 large ice cubes to blender jar. Press the Ice Crush button, using short bursts, 10 times, or until cubes are the consistency of snow. Turn blender off. Pulse fewer times if coarsely chopped ice is desired.

•Grating Citrus Zest: For best results, blender jar and cutting assembly must be clean and dry. Remove zest from fruit in strips (using vegetable peeler). Use no more than 8 strips at a time (zest of one medium lemon). Cut strips in half. Add strips and

1 teaspoon sugar (from recipe) to the blender jar. Blend on Liquefy for 15 to 20 seconds. Turn blender off.

•Baby Food: Combine ½ cup cooked vegetables, fruit or meat with 3 tablespoons liquid (water, milk or fruit juice) in the blender jar. Blend on purée for 15 to 20 seconds. Add more liquid if necessary and process again. Turn blender off.

•Grinding Hard Cheese: Cut cheese into ½ inch pieces. Blend

on Liquefy for 30 seconds. Turn blender off. For best results, grind no more than 3 ounces of cheese at a time.

•Grinding Spices: For best results, blender jar and cutting assembly must be clean and dry. Add ¼-½ cup of spices/ seeds/peppercorns to blender jar. Blend on Liquefy for 30 to 35 seconds. Turn blender off.

•Whipping Cream: Whip 1 cup of cream (whipping or heavy cream) at a time. Blend on Mix, and process for 45 to 60 seconds or until creamy and smooth. If making sweetened cream, add sugar after 10 seconds. Turn blender off. Makes about 1 cup.

•Puréeing Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Rehydrate 1 ounce of tomatoes in 1 cup boiling water. Allow to sit for 10 minutes or until soft- ened. Add tomatoes and water to blender jar. Cover and pulse on Liquefy 5 times; then run continuously on Liquefy for 15 to 20 seconds. Turn blender off. Drain in fine strainer if desired. Makes about ½ cup of puréed tomatoes.