Ask+An+Expert...

Back to Home ** My Expert ** For my project, I interviewed my mom's friend, Julie, who works at a local bakery. She bakes cookies practically every day. She follows pre-existing recipes, as well as creates her own. Some information I got from her is below:


 * What are needed ingredients when making chocolate chip cookies? And what do they do? (as seen on homepage)**

__Flour -__ Without it, cookie dough is to sticky to work with. Flour makes cookies fluffy and easier to bake with. __Baking powder -__ It's an leavening agent. Without it your cookies would be thin, flat, hard and heavy. __Butter -__ There is the 'flavor' of the butter and it tends to remain in our mouths longer, making the flavors it carries also last longer and taste richer. It also makes the cookies much softer and chewier. __Sugar -__ Makes the cookies taste sweet (: Vanilla Extract - Makes the cookies have a vanilla(ish) taste. __Eggs -__ Moisten & bind the cookies. __Salt -__ Not necessarily needed, but a little bit enhances the taste of your cookies without making them salty. __Chocolate Chips -__ Puts the 'Chocolate Chip' in Chocolate Chip Cookies!


 * What are some tips you use when baking cookies?**

-Get out ALL ingredients/kitchenware that you need BEFORE you start baking. It tends to create less mess, and the worst thing that can happen to a baker is to realize half-way through the recipe you're missing something! -Measure the flour correctly! This is the most important tip for any baker. Adding too much flour will make your baked goods tough and dry. -Reducing the flour amount in most cookie recipes by 1/4 cup helps make really tender cookies that won't dry out for weeks! -If you're not in a rush to make the cookies, chilling the dough helps softer doughs keep their shape and makes the dough easier to work with. I find that chilling the dough improves the flavor and allows the dough to relax a bit. -Make sure your ingredients are fresh; it improves the flavor drastically. -Using white AND brown sugar in your recipe will create a great flavor. -Instead of just one of them, use BOTH baking powder and baking soda. I think it makes the cookies taste lighter and chewier. -Serve with milk (: