Cooks:Can one use a food processor to "cut in" butter for scones/biscuits?

[politicat]

I really suck at cutting in butter/shortening (even with a pastry blender).

It's cold today (60 in the house) and I was thinking about making scones and having high tea on the table when Mr. Pcat gets home (since I don't have clients today).

HOWEVER, the recipes all talk about the cutting in the butter thing. Yech. So I'm thinking, can I pulse my food processor a few times and crumb the butter/flour in that way?

Pcat (who apologizes for taking up the bandwidth, and will not even grace the atkins/SB crew who will comment on her lack of appreciation for the bread and sconeless diet with a reply.)

[GOPisEvil]

1. Yeah, it should work.

But I would still go through and make sure there aren't huge chunks o' butter in the flour.

[eyesroll]

2. Yes -- a few pulses should do it.

Many recipes have slightly different food-processor instructions, though, so be careful.

[Systematic Chaos]

3. Don't know a THING about cutting butter

But I will admit to being rather proficient at cutting the cheese :evilgrin:

And for what it's worth, SCREW the Atkins / SB people.

The great progrocker69 has spoken. :D

[salib]

4. I have seen cautionary statements about that

As the food processor supposedly heats the butter up, even in short bursts. Of course these may be the same people who say you HAVE TO knead by hand.

[benddem]

5. as above

Be CAREFUL. If the butter gets too mixed with the flour you'll end up with a brick. Make sure the butter is really cold, cut it into tablespoon size and just pulse.

[supernova]

6. You can

and make sure the couple of tablespoons full of water you add is ICE COLD. Just so the butter doesn't melt.

You want to turn out little pellet-sized pieces.

edit: yes the butter and the water must be cold.

[sui generis]

7. definitely can

you'll get a fine "crumby" result, but it will be just fine. one note of caution, food processors change the temperature of your dough / butter / shortening through mechanical action, so if you run it too long you'll end up "melting" the meltables.

You can also use a food processor to start bread doughs, but you have to let the dough "rest" a bit longer before kneading since the food processor makes it seem doughy before it's actually fully hydrated.