Cookie Confidential

Monday, January 10, 2011

More Info

Steve James, Certified Master Baker
Managing Partner, Popovers on the Square
bkr155@comcast.net

Cookies make a great dessert any time of year. Combined with fruit, dipped in chocolate or served with ice cream, the combinations and varieties of cookies are endless. With just four ingredients and the ability to make them in advance, how can you go wrong?

Most cookies are nothing more than variations on just one recipe - a formula of flour, sugar, shortening/butter and liquids (milk and/or eggs). That's all you need to produce any of the two main types of hard or soft cookies.

Each of these four ingredients are there to create specific characteristics in cookies and has a direct effect on the finished product - either as tenderizers or toughening agents. Flour, for example, is a toughener because when mixed with moisture, it creates structure and is the binding agent.

Sugar is a tenderizer and is always used in some form, from honey to molasses to brown sugar to powdered sugar, etc. Sugar in the recipe not dissolved begins to melt when baked and contributes to cookie spread. The smaller the sugar granules, the less the cookie will spread. The larger the sugar granulation, the more the cookie will spread. For
example, to create the fine-grained compact crumb of shortbread cookies, powdered sugar is used. Regular sugar can be blended to a powdered consistency in a blender.

I prefer butter for cookies because of its great taste and its action is a tenderizer. Without some kind of fat in cookies, they would be rubbery, dry and tough.

Fat also helps cookies to spread. Egg yolks' high fat content are also a tenderizer. Egg whites are toughening agents that build structure. Whole eggs also add moisture and help with aeration and tenderness.

When making cookies remember that white sugar adds no flavor, just sweetness. Consider substituting natural sugars in your cookie recipes. Keep in mind that the moisture level and cookie texture can change, but sometimes for the better.

When using honey or maple syrup as a substitute for granulated sugar, use one-half cup honey or maple syrup for each cup of sugar called for in the recipe. Just remember to reduce the liquid in the recipe slightly and to turn the oven temperature down by about 25 degrees.

Another option is sucanat - it's a pure dried cane juice and tastes great in cookies. Sucanat resembles granulated sugar in texture and feel and is naturally light brown in color. The taste is similar to brown sugar but unrefined.

Sucanat is sweeter than granulated sugar so substitute two-thirds of a cup of sucanat for one cup granulated sugar.

There's always a little trial and error involved when making substitutions, but you could end up with a cookie that has more flavor and is better for you.

When you see leavening agents like baking soda or cream of tartar in cookies, usually they are used to control the spread or the size of the cookie. It also helps control the pH level of a cookie dough, which can help create proper crust color. Lastly, a pinch of salt is sometimes added to help bring out the natural flavors of other ingredients.

Here is a recipe using basic ingredients like cake flour, soft butter, granulated sugar and whole eggs. Add a pinch of salt and a splash of vanilla if you think the formula needs it. If using salted butter, omit the pinch of salt.

Basic Cookie Dough

Design your own cookie with this base by adding nuts and rolling or dropping.

100% flour (3 cups cake flour)

66% butter (one cup soft butter)

33% sugar (half-cup granulated sugar)

15% liquid (one egg)

Procedure: Cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until smooth and light in color. Add the egg and mix smooth, scraping the bowl. Add the flour all at once and blend thoroughly, trying not to over-mix. Remove the cookie dough from the bowl and wrap tight. Refrigerate at least one hour before using.

Variation: Add one cup of pecans or walnut pieces to above recipe when adding the flour. Or add finely grated lemon zest into dough for lemon cookies. Maybe use as thumbprint cookies and fill with ganache or raspberry jam. The possibilities are endless.

This dough can be rolled out to about one-quarter inch and cut into desired shapes or dropped with a small ice cream scoop onto a parchment-lined cookie baking sheet. Don't use wax paper here.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes, depending on size and shape.

- Happy Baking, Chef James