Most of the recipes in Marcel Desaulniers' "Death by Chocolate" book call for a stand mixer.
I was wondering if anyone has successfully made these recipes with a hand-held mixer. If so, do you have any hints/tips about using a hand-held mixer for these recipes?
(If this has recently been addressed, perhaps some kind person could point me to the thread? I did a deja.com search, but came up with a horrendous number of hits. Of those I looked through, none had the information I'm looking for.)
I think the only thing a hand mixer won't do at all is deal with doughs. No doubt the stand mixer is faster and easier to control and to use. I'm ready to upgrade my KA Professional 6 to a commercial model that won't beat itself to death kneading bread dough. But batters are no problem at all for a hand mixer. I think you'll likely get terrific results with batters. If you need to make a dough, mix and knead by hand (or with a food processor if you have one.)
I'd have to see the recipes to know why a stand mixer is called for. I used to do everything with a hand mixer. I now use a stand mixer and things are easier.
I've seen the TV show for Death By Chocolate. There was nothing this complex. I cannot see any reason (other than ease) for using a stand mixer.
It is usually the other way around. You want a hand mixer so you can mix things over heat.
On a guess, maybe the book assumes hand mixers are not strong enough when you really want to whip up the ingredients. Whipping cream, even with a good hand mixer, takes a bit of time. With my stand mixer I often have to be careful I don't over mix it.
The recipes were probably tested using a stand mixer. Times and speeds are different for stand mixers than for hand held mixers. Rather than test the recipes using a variety of equipment, they probably just took the easy route. I have seen some books like Rose's Christmas Cookies and Bread Made Simple, that have the method written three ways: Stand Mixer, food processor, and manual. In the end, there is probably no recipe that actually requires power equipment. You can make nearly anything with your hands, a spoon, and a knife.
I was thinking about the timing issue when I first posted but didn't say anything because these 'popular' books tend to be fairly simple. Books that come from TV shows tend to keep it simple so they can appeal to a wider audience.
For some recipes I've tried I have found that since switching to a stand mixer I can get them fluffier and lighter. The ingredients can be mixed faster and the product gets to oven before all the gases bubble out.
My wife read the book. She couldn't remember any specific reason a stand mixer would be required but she did note that some recipes require you to slowly pour in ingredients from one bowl into another bowl while mixing. If you are not reasonably strong and have some level of dexterity it could be difficult to do with a hand mixer, i.e. you might need two hands to pour the contents of one bowl into the other and mix at the same time.
There's nothing in DBC that distinguishes the recipes from a technical standpoint. All the components are your standard cake, mousse, ganache, etc recipes. It's true, all timings are specified for stand mixers (mix for 1 min, etc). For a hand mixer you'll have to extend the time somewhat, when mixing by hand probably longer than that.
This is no big deal when it comes to stuff you'll find in a cooking 101 book, like "whip cream till soft peaks form, X minutes". In this case if you know what soft peaks are (and you should before taking on these recipes, which are relatively elaborate) you adjust the time accordingly and you should be able to figure it out.
There are a few cases where it's not quite that clear but Marcel is usually good enough to describe the desired effect (whip until it begins to look like X). For those you'll just have to use your own judgment, or, feel free to ask specific questions about specific recipes.
It's a great book with great material. Today I'm doing the Death by Chocolate cake. 3 1/2 lbs of chocolate, not counting cocoa. Yahoo.
Thanks to everyone for the great answers and tips. I'll be trying some of the recipes in the Death by Chocolate book soon, using the hand-held mixer. I have a stand mixer on my "purchase as soon as possible" list, but that may take a little while.
In a word "Yes" I have an old Kitchen Aid that servers me well. But when doing some of the recipes at friends homes I have had no problems. And when things get heavy I just use a spoon or spatula to finish. And I have done all the recipes. that book. David
So i'm thinking what the f is DBC cake. Took me awhile. Yeah thats probably my fav also. But right next to it is the espresso fudge then the wedding cake, zio cassata, banana choco fritters, then the brownies but with pecans. I'm not a big peanut fan. But the deep dark chocolate cookies is the most often made and enjoyed by all I give them too. I usually use callabaut 835 but I have used valrona when I feel like splurging. And i mess around with the recipes. like using raspberry's instead of strawberry's in the strwberry mousse cake And the pumpkin chocolat cheesecake is one I won't do again. but my son likes it. THe old fashon chocolate cake and the espresso fudge are the two I make the most. Ussually I have the brownie layers, chocolate cake layers frozen and meringue disks stored away along with some frozen butter cream. So when the mood hits me I don't have so much to do. I also keep sponge cake frozen. It just pays to make some of this ahead of time.
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