Does “lightly golden” have a secret meaning I’m unaware of?
June 25, 2023 10:58 AM Subscribe
I’m making two different types of cookies. Alice Medrich’s twice baked shortbread, and Ovenly’s peanut butter cookies. Both say to bake until “lightly golden”. I tried to do this with the shortbread, and overcooked them. I did some more research and found out that shortbread is supposed to be pale, not golden brown. The PB cookies are dark brown - made with eggs, PB, vanilla, and brown sugar - so I have no idea how they could ever get “lightly golden”. They already start way darker than that. What gives?
Although it sounds like a color, I think in both cases, "lightly golden" means just barely cooked as opposed to golden brown, which is more done.
posted by hydra77 at 11:47 AM on June 25, 2023
posted by hydra77 at 11:47 AM on June 25, 2023
Best answer: Here's a snapshot of some of the Christmas cookies I make. If you ignore the rolled cookie (it was a disaster I'm not attempting again--although I keep saying things like that and then do eventually try again), these are all standby recipes from my mom (through other family members). Now, I'm not an expert, and I'm not saying these cookies are perfect, but they're pretty typical of my output (give or take a bit).
The shortbread are the tree and the flower. The large bumpy round is a hazelnut-based spiced German spekulatius (so it's darker to start). The crescent-shaped ones are almond (lighter) and hazelnut (darker).
I wish I had a shot of the bottom of the shortbread to show you, but if you look at the edges you can see that they're kind of golden. Likewise, the crescents are a bit darker on the edges (these might be a bit too dark but as I said, perfection isn't my claim to fame). Even on the spekulatius, you can see a darker edge (again, it's likely a hair too dark, but it was my first time using that particular cookie cutter and I was trying to figure out if it would work for what I wanted).
I usually try to shoot for the bottom of the cookie being done--being that golden brown colour. It's not carmelization and it's not a Maillard reaction, but maybe if you think about it in those terms--a colour change that indicates a level of doneness.
And yes, shortbread is typically pretty white and some may find these examples overbaked, but they're also the way I was taught to make them, and they're what's expected from the person who taught me, so that's the way I try to turn them out. Sometimes they come out a bit lighter, sometimes a bit darker, depending on the mood of the oven, which baking trays I'm using, how sharp I'm being on my timing, and whatever other variables happen to be in play that day.
Hope that's helpful and I wish I had a better, more exact answer.
posted by sardonyx at 11:47 AM on June 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
The shortbread are the tree and the flower. The large bumpy round is a hazelnut-based spiced German spekulatius (so it's darker to start). The crescent-shaped ones are almond (lighter) and hazelnut (darker).
I wish I had a shot of the bottom of the shortbread to show you, but if you look at the edges you can see that they're kind of golden. Likewise, the crescents are a bit darker on the edges (these might be a bit too dark but as I said, perfection isn't my claim to fame). Even on the spekulatius, you can see a darker edge (again, it's likely a hair too dark, but it was my first time using that particular cookie cutter and I was trying to figure out if it would work for what I wanted).
I usually try to shoot for the bottom of the cookie being done--being that golden brown colour. It's not carmelization and it's not a Maillard reaction, but maybe if you think about it in those terms--a colour change that indicates a level of doneness.
And yes, shortbread is typically pretty white and some may find these examples overbaked, but they're also the way I was taught to make them, and they're what's expected from the person who taught me, so that's the way I try to turn them out. Sometimes they come out a bit lighter, sometimes a bit darker, depending on the mood of the oven, which baking trays I'm using, how sharp I'm being on my timing, and whatever other variables happen to be in play that day.
Hope that's helpful and I wish I had a better, more exact answer.
posted by sardonyx at 11:47 AM on June 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
I wouldn’t read too much into this. I think it just means “done how much you like your cookies done.” Or “just starting to change color a bit, unless you like your cookies more done, then a little more.”
posted by amaire at 12:42 PM on June 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by amaire at 12:42 PM on June 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
I think your sense is right that it's relative rather than absolute. Lightly goldened by the baking process.
posted by Lady Li at 6:52 AM on June 26, 2023
posted by Lady Li at 6:52 AM on June 26, 2023
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posted by goingonit at 10:59 AM on June 25, 2023