Why ask why????

[KimKelly]

This may be silly... but I have always wondered about a couple of things that I frequently see in recipes. Like.... why do I have to mix things in a certain way? For instance: add dry ingredients alternating with wet ingredients starting AND ending with dry?

Also... why do I have to add ONE egg at a time?

These are a couple that I have always wondered about. I must admit that I usually add ALL the eggs at once, and quite frequently I just dump the dry in to the wet and "mix till incorporated".

Anyone else have a wonder? (or an answer??? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif )

Aloha!
Kim

[Beth]

Sometimes it does make a difference, like when adding hot ingredients to an egg mixture,folding in egg whites, or beating salt into an egg to thicken. On those, there is an issue of cooking raw eggs that need to stay raw, keeping the volume of beaten egg whites, or establishing a chemical reaction that needs to happen before you get to the next step, like the salt in the egg yolk (forgot and made tough waffles one morning). Other times, I think it is more a way of writing the recipe to help ensure even results (like sifting together flour, soda, salt and baking powder, which we learned earlier many people almost never do).

[MrsReber]

I believe I had once read that by alternating the wet and dry ingredients (always ending with dry ingredients) when mixing, it changes the way the dry ingredients absorb the wet ingredients. I can't remember the specifics, but there is a reason for it. As for the eggs, I usually add them in together. I also find it easier to alternate so that I don't get flour all over my kitchen!! When I dump it all in at once, it seems to fly into the air much easier when I turn on my mixer!

[lorilei]

I know that in some instances, instructions are important to follow. And often if I'm unsure about the end result, I'll follow the instructions exactly on my first try with a recipe.

HOWEVER, I firmly believe that instructions are written for the person who needs instructions (my husband loves things like this). And if you're one of those people, you're very happy for those specifics. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by lorilei (edited 09-27-2000).]

[SueK]

Funny you should post this. I was just having a conversation with a coworker yesterday about the very same subject.

I attempted to make muffins from scratch on Monday night, only to discover that I put in 4 cups of flour instead of 2 cups. So, after everything was already mixed, and I realized my mistake, I dumped in another measurement of all the other ingredients, to basically double the recipe. They turned out like hockey pucks and I threw them all away. I guess maybe it was because of the order in which I mixed stuff together?

My coworker also told me that I shouldn't use my baking powder if it's too old, but she wasn't sure of the shelf life. Is this true? How often should you replace?

[KimKelly]

Thanks everyone! It does always help to know that there is a real reason... I really had no idea about the eggs, but that makes sense now and, well... I think I just may follow that directive in the future.

As for the dry ingredients, I do know that you should not overmix, expecially when it has baking powder. I read in the King Arthur book that you can "mix the heck" out of the dry ingredients or the wet ingredients, but when you mix them together you should mix just everything is moistened. I had the hockey puck syndrome as well, and since I have followed that advice my muffins are much more tender. I also found that the flour should indeed be "stired and lightly spooned" into the measuring cup as adding too much flour can also lead to tough muffins.

Thanks again everyone!

K

[Connie]

SueK,
I just tore out something in the July (I think) issue of CL about testing the strength of baking soda and baking powder. It said: "baking soda and baking powder will stay potent for 6 months when stored in a cool, dry place. To test, combine 1 tsp of baking powder with 1/3 c water or 1/4 tsp baking soda with 2 tsp vinegar. If the mixtures bubble, then the leavening agents are still active."

[Connie]

As far as adding eggs one at a time, I was told that it helps to increase the volume of the item being made. So now if a recipe says to do that, I do. I should really have a bake-off - one with eggs added one at a time, the other with them all dumped in at once. Hmmm...

[Vanessa]

This specific instructions are important specially in low fat cooking/baking. It helps mix ingredients better and prevents overmixing which can end in a dry/tough baked good. By adding eggs one at a time and mixing it helps volume and also eggs get incorporated better. I found out following instructions can make a difference when I did not once and ended up with tough muffins.

[SueK]

Originally posted by Connie:
SueK,
I just tore out something in the July (I think) issue of CL about testing the strength of baking soda and baking powder. It said: "baking soda and baking powder will stay potent for 6 months when stored in a cool, dry place. To test, combine 1 tsp of baking powder with 1/3 c water or 1/4 tsp baking soda with 2 tsp vinegar. If the mixtures bubble, then the leavening agents are still active."

Thanks for the info! I have a feeling this may have been one of the problems, as I'm sure my baking powder is much more than 6 months old!