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Baking soda and Baking powder

fawnridge (Ricky)

10 years ago

I've read several online pages about what they are and their effect on cookies. Here is the recipe I'm going to use tomorrow. If I leave out the 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder and only use a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda will I have firm, chewy cookies with a texture similar to marzipan?

(From Epicurious.com)

Original recipe

2 sticks of unsalted butter, 2 eggs, 3/4 tsp peppermint, 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup cocoa, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt

Also, I don't cook with salt, so that's eliminated

My proposed version

2 sticks of unsalted butter, 2 eggs, 1 tsp peppermint, 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup cocoa, 1/2 tsp baking soda

Thanks!

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Comment (1)

grainlady_ks
10 years ago
Oh, my.... The alchemy of cookie textures...

-Baking soda makes cookie spread and brown more. TOO much makes the cookie bitter.

-Baking powder produces lighter-colored and puffier cookies.

-Other leaveners include steam (from the liquids) which causes the cookie to puff.

-The leavening in most cookies is minimal, so you will change the chemical reactions by leaving them out or altering the amounts.

-Salt.... Even a pinch of salt will bring out the sweetness, so I wouldn't leave it out entirely. There is a big interplay between salt and sweetness. It will also improve the bitterness - especially with all that cocoa powder in the recipe. If you are avoiding salt are you also using a sodium-free baking soda (which would account for the doubled amount)?

-Too much peppermint can cause the cookies to burn.

- I would make marzipan - or something like this:

Almond Marzipan Cookies - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/230457/almond-marzipan-cookie/

-Grainlady
fawnridge (Ricky) thanked grainlady_ks
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