Vox Humana wrote:
> "Alric Knebel" ]> wrote in message
> ...
>
>
>>Here are my questions. What makes the cookies crispy? Can baking soda
>>and baking powder by eliminated and self-rising flour used instead, and
>>will it make my goal of crispier cookies impossible to achieve?
>>
>
>
> Generally speaking, the crispiness of a cookie depends on the fat you use.
> Butter tends to make crispy cokes and hydrogenated shortening make softer
> cookies, all other things being equal. Since the melting point of butter is
> lower, the cookies also tend to spread more in the oven and are thinner than
> those made with shortening. Also, baking cookies fully will make them more
> crispy and underbaking them will make them more soft.
>
> Adding water makes little sense to me, especially at the end of the mixing
> process. Water added early, especially before the flour is coated with fat,
> will help make the cookie tougher because it develops the gluten in the
> flour. A tough cookie may be seen as being crisper depending on your point
> of view. Egg whites tend to make things dryer and that may be interpreted
> at being "crispy." Egg yolks tend to make baked good more cake-like. Most
> cookies have little or no liquid in them. I think the water is a good sign
> of a faulty recipe.
>
> The reason that peanut butter cookies have baking soda in the formula is
> that they also call for brown sugar. Brown sugar has molasses in it.
> Molasses is acidic. The baking soda reacts with the molasses and produces
> CO2. It also neutralizes the acid and that increases browning and increases
> gluten formation. You can not leave out the baking soda if it is specified
> in a recipe that also calls for self-rising flour or plain flour with baking
> POWDER. You can not simply substitute baking powder for baking soda.
>
> You can use self-rising flour and then compensate for any deficiency in the
> baking power that the recipe specifies. You would still have to add the
> baking soda. Unless you use self-rising flour frequently, I don't see the
> point it buying it. You are stuck with a fixed amount of baking power and
> salt - ingredients that you may not want (for dredging meat, making most
> pastry dough, etc.) in every recipe that calls for flour. You are also
> stuck with the type of baking powder that the mill included in the mix. You
> still have to stock baking powder, so why bother?
>
> Here is the recipe that I use for peanut butter cookies. They turn out
> crisp. Don't make any substitutions.
> -----------------------------------
> 1/2 cup peanut butter
> 1/2 cup butter, softened
> 1/2 cup granulated sugar
> 1/2 cup brown sugar
> 1 large egg
> 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
> 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (not self-rising)
> 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
> 1/4 teaspoon salt
>
> Cream the butter and peanut butter for about 1 minute in an electric mixer.
> Scrape the bowl and add the sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and egg. Beat on
> high speed for an additional minute. Combine the dry ingredients. With the
> mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients. Increase the speed
> to medium and beat for about 1 minute.
>
> Form 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Press flat
> with the tines of a fork in a criss-cross pattern, dipping the fork into
> sugar between cookies to prevent sticking.
>
> Bake in a pre-heated, 375F oven for 10 - 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
> Makes about 3 dozen.

Thanks for taking the time and writing that. That was some pretty
detailed stuff. My God, man, you sounded almost like a chemist.

Alric Knebel