PJH: I added the spices just as the butter was at the hazelnut-brown shade, and then dropped the temp on the induction hob to 210 and toasted the spices until fragrant. I'd say about two minutes or so? Back to the Doughboy's artery-spackle, AKA Crisco. The milk solids in the butter can't be all that significant to baking performance though, at least in these cookies. I took the liberty of doing the recipe as baker's percentages (based on a double batch to get better mass equivalents on the spices, math done in grams): With shortening: flour 100.0 spices 2.6 molasses 41.0 egg white 9.0 egg yolk 7.2 baking soda 3.6 salt 0.9 sugar 71.8 shortening 50.0 With butter: flour 100.0 spices 2.6 molasses 41.0 egg white 9.0 egg yolk 7.2 baking soda 3.6 salt 0.9 sugar 71.8 butter butterfat 49.2 water 11.1 milk solids 1.2 As they used to say about Olympia beer, "It's the water!". Assuming egg yolks are 50% water, whites are 90% water, you'd be looking at a hydration level in the shortening version of 11.5%, and fully 22.6% in a version made with softened butter. That water is going three places; one, it's participating in gluten matrix development, two, it's hydrating starches to form gels and three, it's binding to the molasses and white sugar. It's no *wonder* it doesn't bake out, even with the thin cross section. If I were super-motivated, I'd test this hypothesis by adding back 30g of water and 3 grams of Baker's Special dry milk to the shortening-based version, but 1) eww, I'd have to bake with shortening and 2) I'm not the one with the test kitchen. ;0) Tell Susan the one with the pink Mohawk is at it again! E Thanks, VG- passing this along to Susan! :) PJH

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