On Fri, 11 Nov 2005, Alric Knebel wrote:

[previous message snipped]

> What my problem is, not knowing how much baking soda (or baking powder)
> is in self-rising flour per proportion, so I can't tell how much of the
> baking soda or baking powder to add, if any. My girlfriend's premise
> was, you could eliminate the need for baking soda and salt by using
> self-rising flour, which she had on hand. I was questioning the
> veracity of that premise. From your response, I take it that it's not
> straightforward as that, therefore the simple answer is "no": you can't
> just substitute self-rising flour and simply eliminate the need for salt
> and baking soda. Am I understanding you correctly? If the substitution
> is NOT that straightforward, then the most straightforward solution for
> an inexperienced baker would be to follow the recipe as written.

You are understanding me correctly. Baking is more like chemistry. You
have to have the right ratios.

When I started baking things, I found I had to follow the recipe exactly
or it turned out badly. Now I know enough about what can be substituted
and I can alter a recipe. I still re-write the recipe before I measure out
the ingredients.

> As for why the cookies sucked, well, they were simply bland. They
> definitely were not salty, and they weren't crispy, which is really what
> I'm aiming for. You know how when you buy cookies in a store, they're
> crispy? That's the texture I'm aiming for. Keep in mind that I altered
> the recipe by eliminating the baking soda and salt under the
> misconception that self-rising flour was the clear substitute. I was
> immediately suspicious of the recipe to begin with. I had had a recipe
> someone else gave me some years ago, and it was pinned to a board in the
> kitchen. But the recipe was lost during the Katrina cleanup of the
> house. That recipe was WORK (which is why I used it maybe only five
> times), while this new recipe wasn't. I didn't have confidence in it,
> and I didn't have confidence in my girlfriend's substitution ideas.

The substitution is not always straightforward. I would suspect that is
why the cookies did not turn out well. A good recipe does not have to be a
lot of work to be good. Sometimes the simple recipes can be quite good.

If you search the web for crispy cookie recipes I'm sure you will find
plenty of they. If you are looking for something simple, try Martha
Stewart's Holiday Cookie magazine. Her company puts out a cookie/treat
issue of the magazine every October/November in anticipation of Christmas
cookie baking. They are usually pretty easy to make and not bad.

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