Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Adding eggs last in cookie recipes?


Elizabeth_11

Recommended Posts

Hello experts,

We recently hired a new girl at our bakery who uses the unusual technique of adding all her eggs last to all her recipes, even after all the flour and dry ingredients. She was taught to do it that way at her previous job (which was a reputable fine pastries shop) but doesn't know the "whys" behind it. I know that I was taught to add eggs to a creamed butter/sugar mixture and continue creaming(especially in cakes in order to aerate it), and it just seems like the only logical way to do it. I don't even think twice about adding eggs to butter/sugar. Am I crazy? Is there a specific reason to incorporate eggs last in a cookie recipe? Can anyone shed some light on this technique for me please?

-Elizabeth

Mmmmmmm chocolate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can think of one reason why you would add the eggs last when making cookie dough: eggs contain quite a bit of water that would activate the gluten of the flour if you combined them first. By mixing the butter with the flour (and sugar) first, it coats the flour particles in fat, protecting them from the water of the eggs and making sure the dough is "short" and the cookies are tender.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the replies guys,

Our final product actually had to be pitched! It was a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe. It spread a LOT, had tiny looking air bubbles throughout and tasted "eggy" according to unbiased opinions. They kind of looked like flattened pancakes. When we baked them frozen, it wasnt as bad spreading-wise, but the texture was off and the tops had that tiny air bubbly appearance. Makes me wonder if something else was mismeasured since it was more chewy than short.

-Elizabeth

Mmmmmmm chocolate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, since you're the boss, and she just cost you some $$$ because you had to pitch the dough, I'd say you have every right to tell her that in your shop, you DON'T add eggs last. End of story.

In school, I learned to do things one way. In all the jobs I've had since then, I have discovered the "right" way, is the way the boss tells you to do it. Of course, if the boss's way has no basis in logic, then I will tell them so (but respectfully). I've actually learned many things by working in different places. Some techniques I've learned outside of school were actually better than the ones I learned in school. This biz is a constant learning process.

Don't let her waste any more of your money. It's your way or the highway. :wink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i use the eggs last method for some things....generally the sort of friable, high in nut-flour doughs, or things with relatively low moisture/ high fat content that i wish to keep flaky or don't want to spread too much. imho, this would never work for something as high in sugar as a chocolate chip dough...which apparently was the case. trust me, though, that it does work very well if you want to make something like a hazelnut cut-out

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...