A few days after I read this article, I was perusing Shirley O. Corriher's book "BakeWise" and found an answer to the vinegar conundrum (brilliant book by the way, I highly recommend it for all bakers). In it she says "An acid batter speeds up the cooking of the proteins and the setting of dough." For cookies, "...this faster setting of the dough helps limit how much the cookies spread." She goes on to say that baking soda neutralizes the acidity, thereby slowing the setting of the cookies. Baking powder, on the other hand, does not influence the dough's acidity. I'm guessing the vinegar is added to the KA recipe to combat the fact that those cookies are on the thin side already. Just a guess. Hope this helps someone out! Thanks, Maria - I learn something new all the time. Actually, I added the vinegar to cut the sweetness just a tad, and to react with the leavening to add a tiny bit more pop - to yield crunchy rather than hard cookies. But if it keeps them from spreading too much, too, so much the better! PJH

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