Several of my cake recipes from Europe call for finely ground walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds. I've used my food processor, but it either makes a paste or I need to add sugar or some other "agent" to keep it from forming paste. That's OK for recipes I have a "spare" dry ingredient, but this one cake my family loves is JUST walnuts, sugar and eggs and the sugar and eggs have to be whipped together, so nothing with the walnuts.

So, how do I grind them finely? Is there a special mill? I have a poppy seed mill, but I'm sure that's too fine for walnut pieces. I looked at buying them already ground and it was $13 a POUND - what?!?!?!


Anyone?
melissa

To finely gound nuts I use a food processor. You have to keep a very close eye on them so they will not make a paste. It will happen very fast. I just keep starting & stoping until I know they are finely ground.

Hope that helps

That just doesn't work for me. It makes some parts fine, but there are always still chunks. It really just feel and look like a flour. When I food process (and I have a cuisinart) it still has some "chunks". Not big, but not fine either.

Melissa

Humm... I am not sure why that is. Both of my food processors grind nuts finely..

Question-- are you pulsing (on,off,on,off really fast --like 1-2 seconds) or stoping & starting (for about 30 seconds) your processor?

I pulse mine. this way the nuts fall back down into the container & each one gets a chance on getting cut.

Gosh.. hope I explained that ok

Yep, I pulse it - but maybe I hold it too long - I hold it for like 3-4 seconds. You truly get a gritty powder? (Kind of like corn meal)?

Maybe I'll have to try it.

Melissa[/i]

I was at a Pampered chief party the other night and saw this in action with nuts in it. It was great. All the nuts came out the same size and texture.

https://www.pamperedchef.com/ordering/prod_details.tpc?prodId=157&words=grater

What if you measured out a little bit of sugar from the eggs to grind with the nuts, and combine the rest with the eggs as usual? I don't know if that would work for your recipe?

So you'd be using the same amount of sugar and most of it would be used where it should be, minus the small amount to help grind the nuts.

Otherwise maybe you need a special food processor or one with more speed options if you don't have that already?

Just some thoughts...

what about a coffee grinder??

I use a coffee grinder for nuts only, cuz if you share it with grinding coffee beans you get a little of both in the end product.

I use an old fashioned nut grinder. Turn the handle one way and it grinds them finely. Turn the handle the other way and it grinds them less finely.

Couldn't live without my nut grinder! (I also use it to grind raisins for my Peanut Butter balls).

HTH

Mine is like this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Federal-Housewares-Nut-Grinder_W0QQitemZ170040613816QQihZ007QQcategoryZ14903QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I use my pampered chef chopper. (Helps get out some aggression) LOL. You get pretty fine pieces the more you chop!

I'm going to try the food processor right now. I'm a bit afraid to put some sugar in with the nuts for this one recipe because it might not incorporate enough and you might "feel" the sugar.

And I'm positive the pampered chef chopper can't do it. It basically is a nut flour and I would hate to imagine how long I would have to chop to get a nut flour! LOL

I actually saw that exact auction! But again, wasn't sure if it made a nut flour or just coursely or chopped nuts.

OFF TO GRIND MY NUTS! LOL

Melissa

LOL!!!



Let us know how it went.....

LOL!!

Melissa's gone off to grind her nuts...

*makes Beavis and Butthead sounds*

I use the food processor, too...just pulsing it works for me.

--Knox--

The problem with trying to grind nuts fine is that the smallest pieces fall to the bottom, like potato chips in a bag. The smaller pieces displace the larger ones to the top of the food processor bowl. Use the pulse option on your food processor, and remove the lid and stir the larger pieces to the bottom. If you bring the smaller pieces to the top with a spoon or spatula, gravity will take over and send the large pieces to the bottom.

There are hand-cranked nut grinders available, but they are quite expensive.

Theresa

Oh my goodness... I don't know what to think! I sent a message to the company that sells my mixer because they have a couple things that say "nut grinder". I wanted to know if either of this ground the nuts finely or not...Well... what do you think of this email response.

LITERALLY, it says:

"no"

No caps, no punctuation, nothing... what the ???? Huh??? Great customer service - I think it's worse than not responding! Grrrr...

Melissa

Is it too late to send the mixer back?

Theresa