Lexicon - Mixing Terms

Beat - to stir vigorously in a circular pattern. You can use a fork, wire whisk, electric beater.

Blend - to combine well two or more ingredients.

Combine - to mix together two or more ingredients to create a unified one where the individual components are distributed evenly throughout the mixture.

Cream - to beat one or more ingredients until creamy. Usually you cream butter, to soften it and get it ready to add other ingredients, or you cream butter and sugar together to produce a homogenous, light and fluffy mixture.

Cut in - to combine butter, margarine or other shortening with flour resulting in small, even sized, granular particles of bits of the fat surrounded by flour. This technique is used in making pastries, such as pie crust, so when the fat melts during baking it creates the flakiness in the crust. This can be done by using two knives, one in each hand, to slash and cut the fat into tiny pieces. You can also use your fingers, working quickly so the heat of your hands does not have time to melt the fat. There is also a tool called a pastry blender to do the job, and a food processor makes the task effortless.

Fold - to combine gently; usually you use a rubber spatula, dragging it through a mixture, across the bottom, up and over the top until the mixture is blended.

Mix - to combine together two or more ingredients.

Stir - to move an implement such as a spoon, fork or spatula through a mixture in a continuous, circular motion.

Toss - to mix lightly, scooping up the ingredients and letting them fall back.

Whip - to incorporate air into ingredients, such as eggs or cream, by beating vigorously to make them light and fluffy.