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What I learned about cookies today

10 years ago

I heard this clip on NPR and learned a lot about what makes cookies tick and how to use that info to get the sort of cookie you want. Cold butter and baking powder rather than soda for fluffier cookies. Melted butter for thinner cookies. You bakers probably already know this, but I thought many of you would enjoy hearing (or reading) this. It helped me understand why the recipe specifies certain things as well as how to fiddle with it!

Here is a link that might be useful: cookie chemistry

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Comments (6)

grainlady_ks
10 years ago
Thanks for the link. I've always enjoyed baking science and knowing the alchemy of baking cookies is essential for judging foods at fairs. It also helps when choosing a recipe so you get the baked characteristics you want, and how to fix the characteristics you don't ;-).

If you enjoyed that link, you'll REALLY enjoy Baking 911 at the link below. Sarah Phillips also has a book by the same name, full of baking information.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Baking 911
sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
10 years ago
Ha, yeah i saw that. I was going to link that on the post about baking pans and parchment.
When cookies are passed around at work, home baked or shop baked, (NYC has thousands of bakeries), it seems everyone has a favorite style. "oh, yum, flat and crispy with burnt edges", "oh, yum, soft and chewy" ...
Good one in the comments....if they get too hard, place a slice of bread in the bag for just the right amount of time to absorb some moisture and soften a bit. (i'd forgotten that)

My favorite comment. "Oh great, my kid just saw my screen and now wants to bake cookies."

: )

(NPR salt is saved on my bookmark bar, adding 911 link to my cooking bookmark, thanks)
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arkansas girl
10 years ago
So is baking 911 a pay to use site? I was going to look at something and you had to be a member just to view it.

EDIT: Just found that a premium membership is $24 per year...no thank you!

This post was edited by arkansas_girl on Wed, Dec 4, 13 at 8:05
grainlady_ks
10 years ago
If Baking 911 is now a paid membership site, it hasn't always been. I just checked and there is a "free" membership as well as a paid membership. There's still lots of information to be gleaned if you click on the "learn" tab at the top of the page. -Grainlady
dedtired
Original Author
10 years ago
Lots to be learned on that site. It's interesting how just a little change in a recipe can make a noticeable difference. My sister and her friends all made Toll House cookies following the recipe on the Nestle's bag. The difference was using butter, margarine, or Crisco. It really affected the crispiness, "spreadiness" and other aspects of the cookies. I have a feeling they did not account for whether the ingredients were cold or melted or room temp.
arkansas girl
10 years ago
I was going to look at a tutorial and it said you had to be a "premium member" which is the paid membership. I'll check out what the free membership allows.

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