Have you ever
wanted the perfect cookie? Well, now you can! The classic chocolate chip cookie
has multiple ways of being customized- just by using a bit of science. Many
people do not know the role of each ingredient in the shape and texture of
cookies. The author has received help from Kendra Nyberg, a co-teacher a
science and food class at the University of California, and Tessa Arias, a chef
and cookbook author who writes about cookie science on her website called
Handle the Heat. Relying on a few experts and the Nestle Toll House chocolate
chip cookie recipe, you get “your perfect
cookie,” (Miller, 2014).
I was particularly
interested in this article because when I make cookies something always goes
wrong, so this information really helped me in creating my favorite type of
cookie- ooey-gooey and soft- and hopefully yours too. Below are some ways to
customize your chocolate chip cookie:
Ooey-gooey: add 2 cups more flour
A nice tan: Set the oven higher than 350 degrees Fahrenheit
(maybe 360). Caramelization, which gives cookies their nice brown tops, occurs
above 356 degrees.
Crispy with a soft center: Use 1/4 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4
teaspoon baking soda.
Chewy: Substitute bread flour for all-purpose flour.
Just like store-bought: Trade the butter for shortening. Arias
notes that this ups the texture but reduces some flavor; her suggestion is to
use half butter and half shortening.
Thick (and less crispy): Freeze the batter for 30 to 60 minutes
before baking. This solidifies the butter, which will spread less while baking.
Cakey: Use more baking soda because, according to
Nyberg, it "releases carbon dioxide when heated, which makes cookies puff
up."
Butterscotch flavored: Use 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
(instead of the same amount of combined granulated sugar and light brown
sugar).
Uniformity: If looks count, add one ounce corn syrup and one ounce
granulated sugar.
More
flavor: Chilling
the dough for at least 24 hours before baking deepens all the flavors, Arias
found.
Works Cited
"The Science Behind Baking Your Ideal Chocolate Chip Cookie." NPR. NPR. Web. 06 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/09/04/345530660/the-science-behind-baking-your-ideal-chocolate-chip-cookie>.
I've seen this on Pinterest so many times, and it's great to see it all explained. This is great for experimenting with the thousands of ways to alter cookies. Like you, I always have something go wrong in recipes I try, and this is extremely helpful. This is especially good to use right now, with Christmas right around the corner. I think your blog is great, and I look forward to many more great posts!
ReplyDelete