Hello, this is Kathleen Raskin of Las Vegas, and I don’t know about you, but this wonderful autumn weather makes me think about all the yummy cookies I’ve baked over the years in Kathey Jo’s Kitchen. The smell, the sight, the taste, the touch. There’s something truly special about making cookies. I got to thinking about the recipes I’ve tried over the years. I noticed not all of them used baking powder. I wondered why some recipes would require it, and others don’t. I did a bit of research, and I’m eager to share what I’ve learned with my Kathey Jo’s Kitchen audience. Let me know in the comments if you learned something new, and share your favorite cookie recipe in the comments below.
First, A History Lesson
Baking powder is sodium bicarbonate combined with an acid. It used to be tartaric acid (a byproduct of wine), but that’s changed over the years to the cheaply produced monocalcium phosphate. When moistened, a chemical reaction between the sodium bicarbonate and the acid occurs. It produces carbon dioxide, which is meant to boost the size of whatever it is that you’re making, whether it be cookies, cakes, or pancakes. There’s no need to add buttermilk or sour cream as an activating agent. It’s already done for you. In the 1890s, sodium aluminum sulfate was added to the mix which primed the dough, rather than incur an immediate reaction. Due to its heat sensitivity, it would be activated midway through the process when the dough needed it the most.
The Takeaway
I prefer to use baking powder in my cookies. The exact amount varies. A good rule of thumb to follow is one teaspoon per five ounces of flour. If you’re aiming for thin, crispy cookies, use less. The thick, chewy cookies may need more. But, I encourage you to experiment. That’s what makes baking cookies fun, if you ask me. It’s true that your cookies don’t need baking powder. Its basic job is to regulate how the air expands. The gluten in the cookie dough that determines if it can handle expansion. But, you should consider incorporating it, if you don’t already. Take it from me, Kathleen Raskin, when I say you’ll quickly find how much larger your cookies can be.
