Google is conflicting- is it white sugar or the brown sugar

amother

OP ↓

Wed, Dec 18 2024, 11:06 am

that causes cookies to spread rather than rise?

I have a recipe that is melted marge, more white sugar than brown sugar and only a half tsp of baking soda and it rises and shapes beautifully..

I have another recipe that is creaming the marge, using more brown sugar than white suagr, has more baking soda and inc some baking powder nad the cookies spread.

the proportions of flour, marge and sugar, eggs are approx the same.

so is it the molasses in brown sugar thats causing it to spread even with creaming the marge and not melting it and adding more baking soda and baking powder?

google is conflicting (with AI mixing in too)

amother

Pistachio ↓

Wed, Dec 18 2024, 11:11 am

I don’t think it’s the sugar at all

baking soda makes it spread

baking soda makes it puff

MiracleMama

Wed, Dec 18 2024, 11:18 am

amother Pistachio wrote:

I don’t think it’s the sugar at all

baking soda makes it spread

baking soda makes it puff

Baking powder?

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Dec 18 2024, 11:30 am

amother Pistachio wrote:

I don’t think it’s the sugar at all

baking soda makes it spread

baking soda makes it puff

I have only 1/2 tsp baking soda in the "puffy " recipe and it puffs beautifully.

the other one has 1 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp baking powder

amother

Cyclamen

Wed, Dec 18 2024, 11:40 am

I’m not a scientist nor pastry expert, but I’d think brown sugar is wetter, so if anything it’s brown over white.

amother

↑ Pistachio

Wed, Dec 18 2024, 11:41 am

MiracleMama wrote:

Baking powder?

yea my bad

baking soda makes it spread
baking powder makes it puff

Bnei Berak 10 ↓

Wed, Dec 18 2024, 11:51 am

This is interesting Smile

For how long do you cream margarine and sugar? What does recipe state? Do you cream properly or try to shorten the time?

↑ Bnei Berak 10 ↓

Wed, Dec 18 2024, 11:53 am

amother OP wrote:

I have only 1/2 tsp baking soda in the "puffy " recipe and it puffs beautifully.

the other one has 1 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp baking powder

I believe it's less about the leavening agent and more about the technique.

↑ Bnei Berak 10 ↓

Wed, Dec 18 2024, 11:56 am

amother OP wrote:

Does melted margarine receipe calls for beating eggs and sugar and then adding eggs flour etc?

amother

Sapphire

Wed, Dec 18 2024, 12:00 pm

brown sugar makes a cookie softer and chewier, white sugar makes it crispy.
thats why you need both in many cookies.

if you have drop too little flour, the cookies spread more and get thin. add a bit more flour, they will sit better.

#BestBubby

Wed, Dec 18 2024, 12:02 pm

I think not enough flour so dough is too wet.

I roll cookies into balls and don't flatten.

The cookies flatten and spread a bit in the oven, but not too much.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Dec 18 2024, 1:14 pm

Bnei Berak 10 wrote:

Another question for OP: Does recipe say to rest dough in fridge?

it doesnt but I do anyway

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Dec 18 2024, 1:17 pm

Bnei Berak 10 wrote:

Does melted margarine receipe calls for beating eggs and sugar and then adding eggs flour etc?

both recipes are for mixing the marge and the sugar first.

I would have thought that the melted marge would make flatter but its the other recipe with
creaming it that comes out flat. and its the recipe that has less marge that comes out flat.

and I roll it into balls

Brit in Israel

Wed, Dec 18 2024, 1:22 pm

If you have access to YouTube watch ann reardon on her channel'how to cook that'
She made a whole video on it, she is a food scientist.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Dec 18 2024, 1:55 pm

amother Pistachio wrote:

yea my bad

baking soda makes it spread
baking powder makes it puff

I think you are right!

the recipes that rise nicely only have 1/2tsp baking soda.

this recipe has 1 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp baking powder.

can I just reduce the baking soda to 1/2 tsp and omit the baking powder?

chanatron1000

Wed, Dec 18 2024, 1:57 pm

Baking powder is baking soda with the acid for the reaction mixed together. You can switch baking soda recipes to baking powder without worrying, but not the other way around, because if the recipe doesn't include enough acid, some of the baking soda will not be neutralized and it will be disgusting.

amother

↑ OP

Yesterday at 9:46 am

chanatron1000 wrote:

do you know how much brown sugar is needed when using baking soda?

my recipe is too sweet. 1/2 cup brown sugar (and 1/4 white sugar.)
to a 1/2 tsp baking soda

↑ Bnei Berak 10

Yesterday at 9:57 am

amother OP wrote:

do you know how much brown sugar is needed when using baking soda?

my recipe is too sweet. 1/2 cup brown sugar (and 1/4 white sugar.)
to a 1/2 tsp baking soda

Why don't you try to find a receipe with less sugar in it?
Once you start to use less sugar the receipe starts to be scewed.