Wednesday, August 18, 2010

This is not quilting (or rocket science)


I have made an amazing discovery. Do you see the cookies above? Do you see they are not flat as pancakes? do you see they are fluffy?

I live at 8,600 feet and have had some small success baking. I've been working on a chocolate chip cookie recipe since I moved here in 1993. Sometimes they have been OK, sometimes they have spread and been awful. I've tweaked the recipe above until they were acceptable, but not like this.

About a week ago my husband was listening to Science Friday on NPR, and a man was being interviewed about cooking science. He said something that is probably obvious to everyone else out there, but just in case I needed to share. If  you are using a leavening in your baking, and there is no acid in the recipe, you should be using baking POWDER. Every cookie recipe I look at calls for baking SODA, as did the one above. As soon as I looked at the recipe and realized there was no acid, and that baking powder supplies its own acid, I decided to give it a try, et voila! No more flat cookies. I am amazed!

Thank you for listening :^)

6 comments:

Wordfiend said...

Wow - what a simple change, with great results. Wish I were there!

Paula, the quilter said...

I did not know that about acid. I am only at 4800 feet, but there are a couple of recipes I've given up on, but I'll have to try this. Thanks.

Debby said...

...and they look delicious!

Unknown said...

Who Knew? Congrats on the cookies

Allie said...

What a great discovery - we'd be lost without our fluffy chocolate chip cookies here! Good for you!

Marilyn said...

Nice to know. Now if my brain will retain that info. LOL Lucky you getting the free fans.

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