On 2017-12-30 1:06 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 12/30/2017 10:59 AM, graham wrote:
>> On 2017-12-30 7:17 AM, John Kuthe wrote:
>>> On Thursday, December 28, 2017 at 3:55:47 PM UTC-6,
>>> wrote:
>>>> I made pfeffernusse cookies for Christmas...
>>>
>>> ROFL!!! Welcome to BAKING!! The MOST science (chemistry!) in COOKING!!
>>>
>>> John Kuthe...
>>>
>> Agreed, 100%!!!
>
> Agree 90%.Â* For repeatability, yes.Â* You can change recipes if you know
> what you are doing.Â* Certain functions like rising yeast, reactions from
> baking powder, adding an acid or salt are required.
>
> Other portions can be vried and, of course, the results will beÂ* bit
> different, be that better or worse.Â* That is subjective.Â* If you add or
> subtract an egg, increase the butter, change the flavoring, sprinkle on
> a topping are easily changed.Â* You can add ingredients in some cases, or
> leave them out.Â* Apples, raisins, cheese come to mind.

My mother used to say that it was hard to ruin a cake. They might not be
exactly the same, but they would still turn out with a little
adjustment. Cake recipes vary a lot in terms of the amount of fat,
sugar, leavening, eggs, liquid etc.

Even method is not all that always that important. I once came home to
find my son making a batch of chocolate chip cookies. I was petty upset
with him because he was doing it all wrong. I had taught him to cream
the shortening and sugar together and then add the egg and vanilla, and
to add the dry ingredients and then the chips. He had everything in a
bowl together and had just started to beat them all together all at
once. I figured the ingredients had been wasted. He assured me he had
done it before and it had worked. He went ahead and finished them, and
they turned out beautifully.