Tips for making use of Magimix please

[suealpha]

I had a Magimix 5200 for Christmas but am not getting on very well with it. I've made breadcrumbs with it, which is useful, but I've had two sessions when I couldn't work out which attachments to use, got in a mess and ended up doing things by hand.

I tried to make crumble topping, but the recipe book hasn't heard of this and gave no guidance on how to do it. I think I followed the instruction for pastry eventually, and ended up with - well, pastry.

I tried to make a big batch of vegetable soup, and got onions, celeriac, sweet potato and butternut squash peeled ready to chop but couldn't work out which attachment to use. The grater makes a squishy pulp, impossible to fry to caramelize to make a nice flavour, and the special extra promotional attachment I got (I can't find a name for it but it's something like a dicer) just couldn't cope with any of these vegetables at all even after I'd had them in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Please can some of you who love your Magimixes tell me
(1) which attachments to use for chopping vegetables small without mincing them
(2) which to use for crumble
(3) what jobs - using which attachments! - you use it for most?

Any recommendation for really useful cookery book to go with it (preferably but not necessarily vegetarian)?

I have a magimix, I don't really use it to chop veg because when I use the disk that it tells you to it slices rather than dices (perhaps I am doing in wrong as well...) so I just invested in a really good kitchen knife and find it just as quick.

I use the basic metal blade most of the time. It's great for soups, I chop stuff up any old how, then cook and blitz the cooked mixture. Ditto for baby food.

My crumble topping gets done with the metal blade (delia smith recipe), you just need to keep and eye and stop it when the consistency is right.

Butter icing is fab, not sure I would be have the patience otherwise (again, metal blade there too).

Apparently cakes come out better in the MM when you do an all in one method, it's worked so far for the couple of cakes I have done like that. I only found out about using the all in one method when I was looking at hand mixers...the lady in the shop heard that I had a MM and told me to try the all in one method instead of buying something else (nice of her!).

Thanks, thereisnoeleventeen. I've just googled crumble and Delia and on one of the recipes she says this: "All you do is place the butter, sifted flour, cinnamon and sugar in the processor and give it a whiz till it resembles crumbs." Now, will that be the largest bowl and the largest metal blade?

Yes! I get on better with butter that has been out of the fridge for a while too.

For crumble mix I'd use the blades and the biggest bowl. I find the magimix v useful for things like coleslaw. I tend to use the fine shredder as I prefer my veg finer.

It's also great for Victoria sponges, again I use the all in one method. A lot of Jamie Oliver's recipes use a magimix.

However since I have a hand blender I use that for soups and chopping onions.

I think I used my magimix twice in my first year and now use it 3/4 times a week.

I use mine every day and often several times a day

Crumble - as others have posted, put the flour, sugar & butter in the large bowl with the metal blade (I also add oats). Make a double quantity and freeze the extra

Pastry - makes amazing pastry - do the butter and flour to 'breadcrumbs' and then add dribbles of water whilst pulsing until it goes to little balls - gather together and you have perfect pastry that has not been over-handled

Chopping veggies - really most effective for slicing - carrots, onions, potatoes, peppers, courgette, especially good for veg for soups (leeks slice like a dream)

Grating - cheese, carrot, stuff for coleslaw

Cake mixes - I echo the all-in-one method and it makes fabulous airy cakes, you can also do the same for steamed puddings and then microwave them instead of steaming them - instant yummy puds

Pancake mixes/yorkshire batter - no more lumps

making smoothies

making hummous

Bread dough

whipping cream

beating egg-whites ......

I'd be lost without mine

I use my magimix 3-4 times a week.

ihave4 I think I am in the same position as you! I have 4 dds and the magimix is a life- and time-saver. Chops up veg very small so dds can't tell. They maintain they detest onions, I add extra onions to our food and enjoy watching the kids eat dinner .

I make Nigella's old-fashioned chocolate cake. Tastes great, but much better a couple of days later.

All attempts at pastry were terrible. I used wholemeal flour though. So much crap in shop-brought pastry that I really wanted to make my own. Will try again inspired by comments above.

It's been pretty handy when I've had it out to grate cheese afterwards.

I use it to help batch cook spag Bol sauce, tacos and tuna pasta bake on a regular basis.

I rarely make crumble, but when I do I get the dds to hand mix it for me. Not really a faff, I like to use oats so want to keep them whole.

Agree with using room temp butter for better results. Perhaps that how I screwed up the pastry .

Will watch this thread for more hints.

Would it work for frosting? It drives me nuts holding a hand mixer for what seems like an eternity! Have been talking myself into a kitchen aid, but would the magimix work?

yup, 4DCs and my magimix keeps me less insane!

if by frosting you mean icing - then definitely, wouldn't make it any other way - use the small bowl for single cake quantities

For pastry keep the butter cool, but cut it up into small chunks so it can be easily mixed in - the trick to good pastry is to keep it cool and not to over-handle it (mixing or rolling or cutting). Also to remember that good handmade pastry tastes totally different to shop-bought stuff.

for cakes, margarine actually makes lighter cakes and the flavour isn't noticeably different, plus with 4 kids you can buy it in 1kg packs so it doesn't disappear in the flash of an eye

Thanks ihave

I mean the 'fluffy' icing - I am sure we mean the same thing . I'll give it a whirl next week as I have offered to make a batch of cupcakes for a party. Do you make cupcakes in the magimix per chance?

My pastry did taste v diff to store brought, but not in a good way! I'll try it again with white flour.

If I can perfect cupcakes in the magimix with minimal effort, I will be very happy and delighted to fulfil my quota of cake sale treats .

of course cupcakes are made in the magimix! I use marg and Delia's all in one sponge recipe

I'm off to buy margarine! I haven't bought it for years.

I'd forgotten I could use the MM for pancakes (4th March, I'll be ready this year). Delia recipe is the best again I guess?

I use the White plastic blade the most. I use it to make biscuits, cheese scones and pasta.

Last night I used the bid metal blade for making hummus for the first time.

I've never used it for chopping vegetables either as I don't know which blade to use.

Imip, to you use the white blade for nigella's cake?

And which one do you use for vegetables?

I make peanut butter in ours- it's amazing. Plus blending up veg so the family don't notice it in things. Great for making burgers and meatloaf too- blitz bread, onions etc then pulse when the meat is in. Do all of those with the metal blade.

I've made pastry in it and DH uses it for pasta dough- metal blade again.

I use the grater for coleslaw occasionally and the fine slicer is great for making pommes dauphinois.

I have a kenwood chef too so I use that for cakes, haven't tried them in the magimix.