Mixing it up a bit

When I'm in the mood for baking, I use a mixer a lot. Ever since I started to tackle my mom's Hershey chocolate recipe book, I've known that you need the proper tools to be able to create those delicious desserts.

There aren't too many "family recipes" that we hold dear here. Most of them are just old recipes found in books that have been staples. These are pretty basic, easy recipes. Nobody in my family really cooks I'd say. I know everyone does, but nobody really goes out there and tries something new. Only my grandmother makes the more exotic dishes. Even then, I don't know her personal recipes. She makes some mean Italian cookies, delicious jam-filled ones. And fantastic soups. I know she has some great old Iraqi recipes, but I've never really been able to ask her about them to any extent.

Really, I'm on my own in the cooking world. I'm finding my way in baking and am working on my own assortment of recipes that I hope to replicate year after year. I love improving and I can't wait till I can have my own personal kitchen and all my own tools.

Most recently I made a chocolate torte for my parent's birthdays. It's not too hard of a recipe, and can be found here. I think it went over pretty well, and it was a pretty mix heavy dessert. Which is to say, I spent a good....2 hours making this thing, and most of that time was spent mixing.

I only had a hand mixer to work with, so it was really tiring to stand there, mixing away late into the night. I really wish to own a good standing mixer one day, and it looks like a Hamilton Beach® Stand Mixer is the way to go.

I'm a big Food Network junkie and every recipe looks far easier when you can use a standing mixer. They're really easy to use, and far nicer than handheld mixers when it comes to making something that requires a bit of perseverance.

For the torte I had to whip up a meringue and chocolate mousse. If I had a stand mixer, both my hands would be free and I could just pour in the ingredients as needed. Hamilton Beach® has a line of nice looking ones called the Eclectrics® Mixer which, aside from looking really nice, have some awesome features. It has twelve different mixing speeds! Oh, and what I always love about stand mixers, different add-ons, like the flat beater, dough book and whisk, annnndd a splatter shield and pouring spout! That's something I can't get with my handheld mixers.

Oh I dream of a day when I can have a good excuse to buy a Hamilton Beach® Mixer . Ah, moving day can't come soon enough!