I agree- I love the recipes, the photos, the descriptions, the comments!
However, I'm confused about one thing you said in the sixth paragraph - I have usually found that using all butter (instead of a combination of shortening and butter) makes the cookies more crispy. I tend to prefer softer cookies, and have often adapted recipes by replacing some of the butter with Crisco, and maybe increasing the flour a bit.
I don't have any sea salt at the moment- would kosher salt be suitable?
ps - I have that same Salter scale (which I bought from you) and use it every day- one of my best purchases ever!
Hi Nancy: Since Crisco is 100% fat, and butter has protein and milk solids in it; and since fat is what makes things crispy, Crisco should make cookies crispier. That said - if your experience is the opposite, and you like it, stick with it! There are just so many variables, sometimes it's difficult to have hard and fast rules in baking. Sue Gray, our test kitchen director and baking science maven, nearly always couches her answers to baking questions with "Well, MOST of the time..."
Yes, kosher salt is fine. Just go easy with it.
I couldn't bake without my scale - could never go back to that slow, messy measuring cup stuff... and yeah, I like that particular Salter the best. Glad you're enjooying it - PJH
July 11, 2008 at 10:32pm