This graphic showing how cookies can go wrong is proof you need to be precise when baking
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Rachel Askinasi
May 23, 2020, 17:17 IST
Each of my 10 types of cookies and the mistakes that made them.Rachel Askinasi/Insider
For a recent baking experiment, I used one recipe to create 10 different types of chocolate-chip cookies.
I intentionally made a common baking mistake with each batch to see what happens when things go wrong.
For example, I found that adding an extra egg made my cookies taste like sponge cake while leaving eggs out completely made the cookies super salty and crumbly.
The experiment — which took nearly a day, including cleanup — yielded 71 cookies.
Side-by-side photos of the different kinds of cookies show how even a slight change, like using a little too much sugar can alter the result.
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As a self-proclaimed member of the amateur bakers club, I set out to map all the possible ways a simple batch of chocolate-chip cookies could go wrong.
I started by looking into the most common mistakes people make when baking, and recorded what happened as I went.
Mistakes included:
Using baking powder instead of baking soda;
Mixing all ingredients at the same time rather than following the step-by-step instructions;
Adding extra eggs;
Forgoing eggs altogether;
Packing flour and using too much;
Not using enough flour;
Over-creaming the batter;
Using too much butter;
Not using enough butter;
Not using enough sugar.
Here's how the cookies turned out with each of those missteps (you can click on the image below to make it larger):
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Typically when I'm making something on assignment, I'll bring the extras into the office for my coworkers to enjoy — and to comment on, of course. But, under the circumstances, I'm currently isolated in a house with four other people (two are children under the age of 10, so they were actually a big help here), so I knew we'd have way more cookies than we could possibly eat.
To cut down on excess and minimize food waste — and cookie intake — I decided to quarter the recipe for each batch. That meant instead of using 22.5 total cups of flour, I used around 5.5 cups. And instead of 20 eggs, I used around 11.
There were a few mess-ups — like when I used baking powder instead of baking soda and when I mixed all the ingredients together at once — that, admittedly, I would be annoyed if I made again.
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But, after making 10 different types of cookies through this trial and error process, I stand by my opinion that some of these variations are actually better than the way they're supposed to turn out. To my surprise, I found that the cookies short on flour were my favorite, and had a delicious crispy texture.
Ultimately, the lesson I learned here is not to be discouraged! Sometimes the greatest discoveries come out of ambitious people making mistakes along the way.
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