Are My Green Cookies Going to Kill Me?

October 4, 2009 2:54 PM

What turned my cookies green?

I just baked some sunflower butter cookies, and after cooling, the insides turned a green a few shades darker than this page. I adapted a peanut butter cookie recipe: included the sunflower seed butter (which has a few seeds in it), margarine, flour, baking soda, sugar, salt and one egg. When they first came out, they looked normal inside, though they were more cakey than crispy. By two hours later, any part of the cookie not exposed to air turned a deep shade of green. I have eaten three with no apparent ill-effects, though I do have a funny taste in my mouth which may be entirely psychosomatic. I do not believe that anyone in the house wants me dead.

WTF?

posted by RedEmma to food & drink (5 comments total)

How strange. I just finished reading a Delia Smith recipe for sunflower seed bread in which she notes that you shouldn't worry if the sunflower seeds turn green during baking, as it is "actually rather attractive".

I don't know what causes it but I would say that it must be the sunflower butter and quite harmless. I hope the cookies are delicious!
posted by daisyk at 2:57 PM on October 4

No concern. The discoloration is the result of sunflower seeds being rich in Chlorogenic acid. Most plants only have Chlorogenic acid in the stems and leaves, but sunflower also has it in the seeds/oil/butter. Also one of the reasons sunflower is good for you.
posted by artdrectr at 3:01 PM on October 4 [2 favorites]

Freakish. The answer appears to be chlorogenic acid. The article I linked to says to prevent it reduce the baking soda or powder by half.
posted by moonshine at 3:03 PM on October 4

So why does chlorogenic acid go green? It seems a strange reaction to proceed on cooling.
posted by Fiery Jack at 4:35 PM on October 4

Probably the answers above, but another possible culprit if they are more bluish green, is aluminum in baking powder. While I think it's the seeds, if it happens with another recipe, they make aluminum free brands. I am pretty sure Rumford makes one.
posted by itsonreserve at 9:37 PM on October 4