Forum: cooking.stackexchange.com
Tags: <cookies>
Title: Are there a better ways to crush biscuits/cookies than a rolling pin?
Question: Can the old trick of putting biscuits (cookies or crackers to Americans) in a plastic bag and hitting them with a rolling pin be improved upon?

Answers:
sents: text: Generally, I've only heard of the plastic bag or the food processor.
text: I have seen people who just bash the packet of biscuits on the kitchen top.
text: Jamie Oliver likes to do that with slabs of chocolate!
text: Otherwise use a heavy duty snack-lock bag or else wrap the plastic bag in a tea towel.
text: It helps to have a small hole for the air to escape.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/812/rbrayb
score: 7
sents: text: If neither a rolling pin or food processor are available substitute a wine bottle or large can of juice.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/426/Darin Sehnert
score: 7
sents: text: Can the old trick of putting them in a plastic bag and hitting them with a rolling pin be improved upon?
text: Why?
text: It's quick, easy, and effective.
text: If you're looking to avoid wasting a bag, then the food processor works well enough...
text: But then you have a food processor to clean!
text: One suggestion: use a heavy rolling pin.
text: I have a marble pin that's too awkward for most pastries, but works great for this
text: : I don't really have to "beat" so much as just drop lightly and then roll...
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/86/Shog9
score: 6
sents: text: I prefer to put them in the food processor and pulse until I get the desired consistency.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/51/Janelle
score: 3
sents: text: I put the biscuits in a bowl, and mash them with a potato masher.
text: It works well.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/9390/Micki
score: 3
sents: text: I think the method can be improved the following ways
text: but I don't have much call for crushed cookies myself, so if any of them don't work please let us know.
text: Anyway, seems that what you need to cruch cookies/biscuits is some sort of crusher, something to prevent crumbs from flying all over your kitchen, and an easy way to transport the results around your work area.
text: In the original the plastic bag serves the purpose of the crumb catcher.
text: You could use cheesecloth or a clean tea towel as a crumb catcher but those options don't seal and they pose a problem for the transportaion issue
text: so I would say the plastic stays as the best of that part of the equation.
text: As the crusher, I find a rolling pin to be a poor one.
text: Low curved surface area on your crusher just isn't what your looking for.
text: I would suggest reaching for the best thing for pounding in your kitchen - your cast iron pan.
text: It's heavy and nice and flat with a huge surface area, perfect for all you crushing needs.
text: Of course, we may not need even that, if your cookies are safely in a bag.
text: You could just slam the bag into the counter top until you're left with the proper consistency.
text: That seems labor intensive though, but maybe theraputic as well.
text: Also, a food processor like everyone else said is a great option.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/446/sarge_smith
score: 2
sents: text: I just put them in an air-tight bag and instead of being such a drama queen and bashing the bag, I roll over them with the rolling pin.
text: Quicker, cleaner and much quieter :)
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/17078/Vicky
score: 2
sents: text: I was making some lemon slice recently, and broke up my Marie biscuits by hand into small pieces and then whizzed them up in a foot processor for a bit.
text: If you don't have a food processor -- maybe try gently breaking them up in a mortar and pestle?
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/898/heycam
score: 1
sents: text: I have used a mortar and pestle before when I had no food processor.
text: It worked fine.
text: Another option is to just get a big knife and chop like you might with vegetables.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/19277/cspirou
score: 1
sents: text: Other suggestions (mentioned here ): Use a potato masher Put them in a bag, then drive over the bag a few times with your car
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/8704/David Fraser
score: 0
sents: text: I once watched a neighbor across the street put cookies (
text: Oreos
text: if I recall correctly) in a zip bag and crush them by backing her car over them.
text: She drank a lot.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/29838/Greg Nickoloff
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
A rolling pin (or substitute) or a food processor are the most common options, but you can also chop the biscuits with a knife or mash them with a potato masher.
While the rolling pin method is generally considered the best, you can also use a food processor or try chopping with a knife.