A pastry blender, also known as a pastry cutter or dough blender, is a handheld tool used to cut butter or other fats into dry ingredients like flour to make pastry dough. It features a series of metal strips or wires looped around and connected to a handle. The tool is used by pressing it into the butter and flour mixture over and over until the right texture is achieved. The purpose of using a pastry blender is to break cold butter into small pieces while coating them in flour, which is essential for creating the signature flaky texture of pastry dough.

Pastry blenders are used to make a variety of baked goods, such as pies, tarts, turnovers, scones, and biscuits. They are especially useful when handling frozen cold butter, which can be difficult and tiring to cut by hand. Using a pastry blender keeps your hands clean and requires minimal cleanup time.

In addition to cutting butter into flour, the pastry blender can also be used to shred meats, mash potatoes, avocados, or other ingredients, and even make chunky jams, chutneys, and homemade spiced applesauce. Pastry blenders are also used to break fats like shortening, butter, or lard into smaller pieces, which impacts the amount of water needed to bind the pastry into a dough.

Pastry blenders are available in any big box stores kitchenware section and are a valuable tool for professional pastry chefs as well as home cooks.