"Scott" > wrote in message
...
> I picked up a copy of Baking 9-1-1 by Sarah Phillips,
> <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...id=1126808676/
> sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-8697222-1580023?v=glance&s=books>
>
> and came across a statement that piqued my interest. In her recipe for
> sugar cookies, she writes "most cookies use baking powder for leavening;
> I chose to use baking soda. It causes the cookies to spread rather than
> puff, perfect for a crispy cookie, and have a wonderful buttery flavor
> you can't get with baking powder."
>

The baking soda will reduce the pH, and may marginally strengthen the gluten
and increase browning. I can't see how it CAUSES spreading. I see
spreading being a function of the melting profile of the fat and the oven
temperature. It may allow spreading because without an acid, it does
nothing. In other words, it is passive and the spreading has been
erroneously attributed to it. It' like saying that drinking alcohol at a
bar makes people appear sexy and attractive, while drinking water makes them
appear ordinary and dull.