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The chemistry of cookies and how to adjust to taste

For perfect cookies, try a little bit of chemistry

It may not look like it, but a recipe is nothing more than a narrative of chemical processes.

Beating butter and sugar with a mixer produces a fluffy paste because air has been inserted around the fat and sugar compounds. Dough turns hard and crisp during baking because the heat causes the moisture in the ingredients to turn into steam and evaporate. Heat also forces sugars and protein compounds to change color, giving cooked food those toasty browned edges and tantalizing flavors.

Understanding the chemistry of food is essential to baking, especially when it comes to cookies. “Cookies are a microcosm of cooking,” writes Shirley O. Corriher in “ Cookwise The Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking .”

“The role of each ingredient is magnified in the low-liquid situation. Not just a change in the amount of liquid (many cookies have no liquid as such), but any change in ingredients that changes the available liquid in the batter changes the cookie.”

In short, the less liquid in a recipe, the more likely any change in the other ingredients is going to alter the result. And cookie recipes have very little liquid.

The next step is to understand how each ingredient affects the result. The type of fat you use can determine how much your cookies will spread. The type of flour you select can alter the shape, and a change in the amount of sugar can change the tenderness.

Custom cookies

Here are some tips on adjusting cookie recipes according to your taste, from “Cookwise.”

For softer cookies: Slightly under-bake them. They should be golden around the edges but can remain pale in the center. Or substitute brown sugar for some or all of the granulated sugar.

For crisper cookies: Use egg whites in place of some of the whole eggs.

For cookies that spread more: Use all butter instead of shortening or margarine. Or add 1 to 2 tablespoons water, milk or cream to recipe. Keep the dough at room temperature. And set the oven at a slightly cooler temperature than called for in the recipe.

For cookies that spread less: Use shortening or reduced-fat spread instead of butter. Use an egg in place of some of the liquid. Or use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour.

For cookies that retain their shape and don't spread: Keep the dough very cold. Set the oven temperature slightly higher than usual.

Smart baking

Here are some other tips for successful cookie-baking.

Heavy baking sheets are a must. Thin pans buckle and do not distribute heat evenly.

When adding raisins or other dried fruit to cookie dough, try plumping them first. Pour just enough boiling water over the ingredients to cover; soak for a couple of minutes, then drain. The fruit will be softer in the finished cookie.

Don't over mix cookie dough or brownie batter once the dry ingredients have been added; doing so overdevelops the gluten, hindering the tenderness.

Many kinds of cookie dough can be frozen raw and baked later. After the cookies are formed, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill them in the freezer until firm, about one hour. Transfer to resealable bags and freeze for up to a month, until ready to bake. There is no need to thaw the dough; however, you may need to add a few minutes to the baking time.

As a rule, crisp cookies freeze better than soft, moist cookies. Rich, buttery bar cookies and brownies are an exception to this rule, since they freeze extremely well.

Sources: “ Cookwise The Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking ” by Shirley O. Corriher (William Morrow); “ Rose's Christmas Cookies ” by Rose Levy Beranbaum (William Morrow); “ The Simple Art of Perfect Baking ” by Flo Braker (Chronicle Books); and “ Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook ” by Martha Stewart (Clarkson Potter Publishers).

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