Paddle
flat beater
The paddle, or flat beater, is the stand-mixer attachment for mixing without aggressive aeration. It handles shortcrust and choux, cake batters, butter-based creams, and anything that wants even combination rather than foam.
It sits between the whisk and the hook: it introduces some air and develops little gluten. That is why it is chosen for shortcrust, where developed gluten is unacceptable, and for creaming butter with sugar, where moderate and controlled volume is wanted.
Speed follows the task. Low is enough to combine ingredients; medium suits creaming butter and sugar. High speed on the paddle usually means the wrong attachment has been chosen.
Many models offer a version with a silicone edge that wipes the bowl wall and gathers the mixture, removing the need to keep stopping the mixer to scrape down with a spatula.