Hand blender vs food processor

I am going to be making pumpkin pie tomorrow and the recipe calls for the ingredients to be put through a food processor to mix them together..  I don't have one or a stand blender, just a hand blender.  Can that be used instead?

June

I think so, its just going to take a lot longer!

A mixer should do just fine.  what does the recipe call for?  I would think that pumpkin pie would only need some really heavy hand whisking. 

I just did my pumpkin pie which also calls for a food processor and I used a hand mixer. Seemed to work out fine. I always get nervous making cakes and pies because you never really know if it is good until you serve it. I'm always tempted to serve them with a slice taken out.  

I don't have a hand mixer, I have a hand blender.  The recipe calls for the pumpkin puree, eggs, cream, etc.

June

I am sure that a hand blender will be fine. Sounds similar to the recipe I used from epicurious.com.

It will be fine.  It may aerate the mixture a bit more, but that shouldn't affect the final product.  Just be a teeny bit fluffier.

We've always made pumpkin pie by hand, so I'm sure a hand blender will be more than adequate!

I don't have a hand mixer, I have a hand blender. 

what's the diff?

what's the diff?

Hand mixer is one of those ones that has the two blades (blades isn't right - the things that actually mix the batter/stuff - not tongs...grr I hate it when I can't think of the right word).  It's the one where you have the blades separately and you push them into the two slots on the mixer itself.  The mixer usually has a plug attached as well and a handle.  I use this to make cookie dough or batter or any other type of dough.  Like a Kitchenaid stand mixer but it's handheld.

The hand blender I think is what I'd call a stick blender?  June if it is a stick blender - the really thin ones with one blade attached that you can use to make smoothies, puree liquids, chop onions, etc. - then I wouldn't use it for pumpkin puree.  It is not going to be powerful enough and it might even break the blender depending on how firm the pumpkin is. DH has broken stick blenders before.   

Good catch QG - if it's a stick blender I wouldn't use it!

Geeta,  you are right, it's just like a blender except I have to actually hold the stick in whatever it is I'm trying to blend.  I am using canned pumpkin puree so it's already soft.  I guess I just need to figure out the best way to blend the ingredients together.

June

Depending on your arm strength, you could use an good old-fashioned wooden spoon! 

I've made my pumpkin pie just with a whisk.  Unless you're making a chiffon, and you need to beat the egg whites, it should be fine. 

Yeah, I think a good old fashioned whisk would be fine, too. I find a lot of recipes these days just assume you have these 'time saving' implements around and want to use them when really, it's not always necessary. I don't think I've ever used a blender of any type for pumpkin pie.

I find a lot of recipes these days just assume you have these 'time saving' implements around and want to use them when really, it's not always necessary.

I find this annoying!! I don't own any small kitchen appliances. I figure my grandmother pureed somehow without using a food processor!!!

I am attempting my second pumpkin pie from scratch today... the guy at the shop said, We still sell pumpkins?