Dave Bell > wrote in message rea.net>...
> I am specifically having a problem with spelt flour, but perhaps this is
> something common to all flours, that someone can diagnose for me:
>
> Almost any recipe that I have tried (except for shortbreads) have turned
> into "lace cookies". A simple oatmeal cookie (see below) is a great
> example. They simply melt, spread, merge tgether, and bake up as paper
> thin, lacy, sugar puddles. Good, but *not* the intended plump, chewy
> cookie I was trying for.
>
> Anything specific I may be doing wrong? I made two substitutions, as noted
> below. I prefer not using margarine, and unbleached white spelt has no
> acid content to speak of, so I generally use mostly or all baking powder.
>
> Dave
>
> Aggression Cookies
>
> 1 cup light brown sugar
> 1 cup margarine (softened) (I used butter here)
> 1 cup flour
> 1 teaspoon baking soda (I used baking powder here)
> 2 cups quick rolled oats
> Sugar (granulated)
> Preheat oven to 350F. Combine first five ingredients, mixing well with
> hands.
>
> Roll into one-inch balls. Put on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each
> ball with bottom of glass dipped in sugar. Bake for 10 minutes or
> until light brown.
Look this cookie needs more structural ingredient. It has no eggs no
milk and have high sugar content and fat.
Ingredient wise:
It has nothing but bulking agent in the form of oatmeal and flour;
tenderizing agent in the form of fat and sugar.It is further softened
by the baking powder. Where is the structural material ?
It does not even have liquid to make the flour protein into a gluten
which will help bind the mixture.
You are just softening the short dough recipe by replacing the flour
with rolled oats that has limited binding ability.
Even if you mould it into balls when its baked it will just flow in
the cookie sheet.And You aggravate the result as you had to flatten
it,therefore you are promoting pan flow.
It will definitely be a 'lazy' cookie.
But will surely make you deligent 'cookie'<g> as you will spend more
effort removing the mess from the cookie sheeta and tossing it to he
garbage bin<g>.
But......
It does not live up to its name as aggression cookie. It is a pretty
timid cookie <g>.
But....wait..
I think the reason why its called aggression cookie is that you will
become angry with the results<g> You will become ****ed off that you
will just run to the nearest bakery /grocery shop and buy a cookie
instead<g>.
But do not lose hope ,if you still prefer this formula you can reduce
both the fat and sugar( by a teablespoon or two up to a quarter of a
cup),add a little bit of milk powder( 2 tsp) add enough egg to bind
the mixture but still attaining similar cookie dough texture that you
still can form into balls.
You can enhance the flavor by adding some spices like cinnanmon ,
cardamom etc,some flavoring like vanilla and grated orange or lemon
peel.You can blend in some chopped raisins and cherries.
But don't flatten it much ....
When I make a similar cookie dough recipe( but without an oatmeal
)but with pure pastry flour.The egg is my only binder ( just enough to
make it moldable and be able to be rolled into a cylinder .
The ratio of the flour, fat and sugar ratio is approximately
100/50/50 respectively and I add some baking powder( up to 1%) and
form the dough into a rope but cut it into short segments( 3/4 inch)
and place it upright on the cookie sheet. I just flatten it slightly,
place egg wash ahd bake.
BTW,.... the best leavening agent for this type of cookie is ammonium
bicarbonate, used in the same amount as baking powder but mixed with
the eggs and fat before you knead in the dry ingredients in ( flour
and sugar mixture).
You do not need to flatten it much, but just dent it with your
finger slightly and then it will come out at the right
thickness....when baked at least 350 degree F until tops are slightly
browned.
Roy
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