On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 1078

dissolves in the limited amount of moisture.
Whenthedoughheatsupduringbaking,more
sugar can dissolve, and the added liquid
causes the cookie to soften and spread. Then
when the cookie cools, some of the sugar
recrystallizes, and the initially soft cookie
develops a distinctive snap — a process that
may take a day or two. Other forms of sugar
— honey, molasses, corn syrup — tend to
absorb water rather than crystallize (chapter
12), so when heated they form a syrup that
permeates the cookie, helps it to spread, and
firmsasitcools,makingitmoistandchewy.
Eggs Eggs generally provide most of the
waterinacookiemix,aswellasproteinsthat
help bind the flour particles together and
coagulate during baking to add solidity. The
fat and emulsifiers in the yolk enrich and
moisten. The higher the proportion of whole
eggs or yolks in a recipe, the more cake-like
thetexture.


Fat Fat provides richness, moistness, and
suppleness. When it melts during cooking, it
lubricates the solid particles of flour and
sugarandencouragesthecookietospreadand
thin — a quality that is sometimes desirable,
sometimes not. Because butter melts at a
lower temperature than margarine or
shortening, it gives cookies more time to

spread before the protein and starch set.
Butterisabout15%water,andisthemainor
only source of moisture in such low-egg
recipesasshortbreadandteacookies.
Leavening Leavening, whether tiny bubbles
of air or of carbon dioxide, helps tenderize
cookies, and encourages them to puff. Many
cookies are leavened only with air bubbles
incorporated when the sugar is creamed with
the fat, or beaten with the eggs. Some are
supplemented with chemical leavenings.
Alkaline baking soda may be used when the
dough includes such acid ingredients as