On Monday, March 21, 2016 at 6:42:28 PM UTC-4, sf wrote:
> On Mon, 21 Mar 2016 09:37:25 -0700 (PDT), Cindy Hamilton
> > wrote:
>
> > On Monday, March 21, 2016 at 10:08:38 AM UTC-4, sf wrote:
> > > On Mon, 21 Mar 2016 03:31:28 -0700 (PDT), Cindy Hamilton
> > > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > On Sunday, March 20, 2016 at 6:19:26 PM UTC-4, Dave Smith wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Creaming the butter and sugar is a very important step in making good
> > > > > cookies.
> > > >
> > > > Depends on the cookie; depends on how you like your cookies. I prefer
> > > > to melt the butter for chocolate-chip cookies. It makes them chewy.
> > > >
> > > Tell me more! Can I use the Toll House recipe and just melt the
> > > butter? I love chewy cookies and can never get them to Mrs. Field's
> > > quality. I love the texture of those cookies but they are way too
> > > sweet for me.
> >
> > Yes, that's what I do. If the butter is really hot after
> > melting, let it cool a bit before adding the eggs, or
> > they'll scramble. Although if you add the sugar before
> > the eggs, it should be ok.
> >
> > I can't guarantee how chewy they'll be, but liberating
> > the water phase from the butter helps the flour form a
> > little gluten. I use King Arthur GP flour, which is
> > higher in protein than, say, Gold Medal, so I get a
> > little extra chewiness there, too.
> >
> Thanks. I think I have KA this time around. Are you saying KA is
> better for breads than cake? Personally, I'm more the pound cake, old
> fashioned carrot cake type than Southern style cakes made with cake
> flour type anyway, so I'm okay with that.

Depends on what you're looking for in texture, I suppose. I don't
have much hands-on experience, but the science is easy to understand.

KA unbleached all-purpose flour is 11.7% protein
KA unbleached bread flour is 12.7% protein
Gold Medal AP is 10.5% protein
Gold Medal bread flour is 12% protein
White Lily AP is 8-9% protein
White Lily bread flour is 11.7% protein

Clearly, White Lily thinks 11.7% is enough for bread, but KA finds
that a little... wimpy.

The pizza crust recipe that I use is intended for AP flour, but
I've seen recipes that call for bread flour.

Here's a nice, although somewhat vague table:
<http://www.theartisan.net/ProteinComparisons.htm>
And another reference:
<http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/17045/protein-content-flour>

> I was watching some show on TV where the host went into a bakery and
> the baker said he used melted butter instead of cutting it in when he
> makes biscuits and the finished examples were *tall*. Maybe I'll try
> that method the next time I make biscuits (if I remember).

Tall, yes, because the extra little bit of gluten makes a structure
to hold on to the gases generated by the baking powder.

Cindy Hamilton