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I made a pie according to the following instructions. While it did turn out good, I'm not sure if the mixing method is sound.

It called for beating two eggs with sugar until white and fluffy. Then, I would carefuly fold in flour. After that, they wanted me to beat in liquid ingredients - milk and a bit of vegatable oil.

My question is does it make sense to incorporate more liquid ingredients after the flour is in? While folding in flour, you take extra care not to disturb the air capsules created in the first stage, why would you subject your batter to more rough handling after all that?

If changes are neede, what would be the correct procedure? What is the name for this type of batter?

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    Hello VoY. Can you please specify what type of pie this is or give more details? This method sounds much like a method for some cake batters. However, I'm in the US and the terminology may be different.
    – Cindy
    Commented Sep 5, 2014 at 12:06
  • On the website I used it was called a french pear pie. You beat the eggs and sugar until all white and pale, then fold in flour and into the mixture you are supposed to beat milk with the oil. Then you pour it into a tart pan, add sliced pears and pour the rest of the mixture over it. After 30 minutes of baking you pour a mixture of melted butter, sugar, cinnamon and one egg over. Sorry, I'm czech, so agreeing on the terminology might be a bit difficult here :-).
    – VoY
    Commented Sep 5, 2014 at 16:46
  • Can you give a link to the website or recipe, or maybe a picture? I have looked extensively and haven't found a recipe that adds the butter, cinnamon, sugar, and egg mixture 30 minutes in. It sounds delicious and I would love to try it.
    – Cindy
    Commented Sep 5, 2014 at 22:52
  • The recipe is pretty standard and I don't know all of the scientific info as to why it works, but it does. I have learned from asking questions on this site that adding ingredients in a certain order does make a difference in emulsification and how everything comes together. I am not entering anything as an answer because, I know the process works but, I can't answer your question as to why it works. Re translation of terms, I truly value this site as I see posts from all over the world. We don't always need to use the same terms but sometimes need to clarify so we can address appropriately.
    – Cindy
    Commented Sep 5, 2014 at 23:16

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In France, that is a classic dessert called a Gâteau Fondant Aux Poires. In American English we'd call it a Pear Cake. Who can figure out the French and their dang desserts? What I can say, is that your instructions are fairly typical. In America we would call that a cake batter and wouldn't change a thing, except maybe to make it less fussy.

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  • Still my question is would you incorporate liquid ingredients after all the cake to fold in flour? Doesn't that ruin your careful job of not disturbing the egg bubbles? Or maybe this only applies to batters which include egg white snow?
    – VoY
    Commented Sep 8, 2014 at 5:55
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    @VoY "Beating two eggs" will not make whipped egg whites, as in meringue. By beating the two eggs with sugar, the egg proteins are all broken up and the sugar is all dissolved and mixed in. It's not a fragile delicate thing now, like whipped egg whites would be.
    – Jolenealaska ♦
    Commented Sep 8, 2014 at 6:20
  • Does it mean then that I can mix in my flour relatively vigorously? Altough I suppose more handling will lead to more gluten development and thus different end result.
    – VoY
    Commented Sep 8, 2014 at 10:20
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    You don't want to overdo it (as you say gluten is an issue, see :cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/1722/…), but you don't have the super-fragility whipped egg whites to deal with, so you can stir normally to incorporate.
    – Jolenealaska ♦
    Commented Sep 8, 2014 at 20:39

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