BLENDING TIPS & HINTS
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 Cuisinart® Supreme Super 600™ Blender, you’ll also be able to make delicious frozen drinks.
Chopping Nuts: Place ½ cup shelled nuts in the blender jar and cover blender. Select Chop and pulse until desired chop is achieved. Pulse fewer times for coarsely chopped nuts. For best results process small amounts, ½ cup or less.
Bread, Cookie or Cracker Crumbs: Break or cut bread, cookies or crackers into pieces ½ inch or less in size. For best bread results, use day-old bread (drier bread works best). Place bread, cookie or cracker pieces in blender jar. Select Purée and pulse to chop, then blend continu- ously until desired texture of crumbs is achieved. For best results process 1 cup or less at a time.
Crushing Ice: Add up to 10 standard ice cubes to the blender jar. Cover. Press the Ice Crush button, using short bursts, 10 times, or until cubes are the consistency of snow. Press STOP button. Pulse fewer times if coarsely chopped ice is desired.
Grating Fresh Citrus Zest: For best results, blender jar and cutting assembly must be clean and dry. Remove zest from fruit in strips using a vegetable peeler; use a sharp knife to remove the bitter white pith from the underside of the zest. Cut strips in half. Process no more than 8 strips at a time (zest of 1 medium lemon). Add strips and 1 or more teaspoons of sugar or coarse salt (from recipe) to the blender jar. Cover blender jar. Select Purée; blend for 15–20 seconds. Press STOP button.
Baby Food: Combine ½ cup cooked unseasoned or lightly seasoned vegetables, fruit or meat from the family meal with 3–4 tablespoons liquid (water, milk, fruit juice, broth, or cooking liquid) in the blender jar. Select Liquefy. Blend for 15–20 seconds until a smooth purée is reached. Add more liquid as necessary and process further until desired texture is reached. For “junior” type foods, select Purée and use the pulse. Always consult with your pediatrician/family physician concerning the best foods for your baby and when to introduce new foods to his/her diet.
Grinding Hard Cheese: Cut cheese into ½-inch pieces; remove all outer hard rind. Place cheese in blender jar. Select Chop or Mix.
Pulse to chop cheese, 10–12 times, and blend until desired grind is reached. For best results, grind no more than 3–4 ounces of cheese at a time.
Whipping Cream: If possible, chill blender jar and cutting assembly in refrigerator for 15 minutes. Add 1 cup heavy or whipping cream to blender jar. Cover jar. Select Stir (1-second pulses) 20–30 times until cream is thickened. (Do not overprocess – bits of butter will begin to
appear.) If desired add 1 tablespoon sugar and 1–2 teaspoons of vanilla or other flavoring. Consistency with be that of a thickened but not fluffy whipped cream and is most appropriate for topping desserts or coffee drinks.
GENERAL USAGE TIPS
•Assemble the blender completely before beginning any blending task, taking care that the gasket has been inserted to prevent leakage.
•Always take care to place lid firmly on blender container before blending.
•Always turn blender off and allow blades to stop completely before removing the lid or lifting container from blender.
•For “frozen” drinks, chill all ingredients before blending. This includes liquor, which may even be kept in the freezer if space allows.
•Keep frozen fruit (whole berries, slices, chunks or pieces of other fruits) on hand to be able to replace ice to make “frozen,” “slushy,” or “smoothie” type drinks at any time. Using frozen fruit keeps the drink from tasting watered down.
•Additional ice cubes or pieces of frozen fruit can be added through the feeder hole in the lid of the blender while the blender is running.
•For best results, cut foods into similar sized pieces, ½–¾ inches in size.
•If foods do not seem to be blending smoothly, use the pulse to chop, then blend continuously.
•Allow hot foods to cool slightly before blending.
•When using the Cuisinart® Supreme Super 600™ Blender to purée hot mixtures such as creamed soups and baby foods, strain the solids from the liquid, reserving the cooking liquid. Then place the cooked solids in the blender jar along with ½ to 1 cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Use the Pulse to chop, then blend until desired consistency/purée is reached. Blending hot mixtures is often better done in several batches.
•When blending hot foods/liquids, leave the feeder cap off or ajar to allow steam to be released to prevent the lid from popping up/off. Cover the lid with a clean dish towel and hold down to prevent it from lifting up.
•When blending hot foods/liquids, make certain there is sufficient room for expansion during blending.
•The blender is a perfect tool for creating baby foods and purées for special needs diets.
•A quick way to clean the blender is to let it clean itself. Add about 2 cups of warm water and a drop of liquid dish soap to the blender jar. Run the blender for about 30 seconds, until it is clean. Rinse thoroughly with warm water to remove all soap and allow to air dry.
•Xanthan gum may be added to dressings and marinades to prevent separation.
