*Tasty* Cookie Experiments
January 7, 2025 5:11 PM Subscribe
My kid wants to do a science fair experiment with cookies. What are some good ideas that don't leave cookie messes? Maybe something delicious at the end?
Kid is in elementary school. Their idea was basically, "I want to take this ingredient out, or that ingredient out, and see what happens." I honestly have no idea what each cookie ingredient does, is there a website or book that would lay this out?
I also don't want something that just wastes ingredients and leaves a melted cookie pile at the end. I imagine I could swap brown and white sugar and still get good cookies at the end, but that might be too simple.
Kid is in elementary school. Their idea was basically, "I want to take this ingredient out, or that ingredient out, and see what happens." I honestly have no idea what each cookie ingredient does, is there a website or book that would lay this out?
I also don't want something that just wastes ingredients and leaves a melted cookie pile at the end. I imagine I could swap brown and white sugar and still get good cookies at the end, but that might be too simple.
Maybe take a normal recipe and reduce the quantities so that you only have a very small batch instead of a typical one? That way, you'd only have a cookie or two they could describe and taste test, for each missing ingredient?
posted by stormyteal at 5:14 PM on January 7
posted by stormyteal at 5:14 PM on January 7
Response by poster: Ooh, great site, thank you! Also love reducing the quantities. How do I do that?
posted by inevitability at 5:17 PM on January 7
posted by inevitability at 5:17 PM on January 7
I mean, it's a science experiment, not a catering job. Isn't part of the point to take the risk that some results might be messy or inedible? Why not just let the kiddo try the experiment they designed and see what happens? (If you absolutely have to have all results be edible try switching butter for shortening, brown vs. white sugar, insulated vs. plain cookie sheet, chilled vs. room temperature vs. aged dough.)
posted by shadygrove at 5:20 PM on January 7 [11 favorites]
posted by shadygrove at 5:20 PM on January 7 [11 favorites]
How about experimenting with different grains besides AP flour? Make your recipe by mixing everything together except the flour, then divide your batter into 1/3’s (so you can make smaller batches) and add a scaled down amount of whatever test flour mix. I’d try subbing out only half of the flour called for in the recipe to keep the cookies edible. Try whole wheat, cornmeal, oat flour etc.
posted by Drosera at 5:27 PM on January 7 [3 favorites]
posted by Drosera at 5:27 PM on January 7 [3 favorites]
The Internet is here for you with a recipe for one single cookie. (Note: there are certainly other options; that's just the first link I clicked but it seems well-researched and approachable for an elementary-aged kid.)
posted by teremala at 6:16 PM on January 7 [4 favorites]
posted by teremala at 6:16 PM on January 7 [4 favorites]
Figure out the smallest non-divisible ingredient is- if your recipe has two eggs, you can half it but it's trickier to halve an egg (though possible!)
posted by freethefeet at 6:17 PM on January 7
posted by freethefeet at 6:17 PM on January 7
Well, for example, here's an already-small-batch cookie recipe that says it makes a dozen cookies.
I'd sort of recommend you try a new recipe out to start with to make sure it's an ok cookie, or reduce the quantities of a recipe you already have and know and want to use.
So, for 6 cookies, you'd divide each of those amounts in half. For 3 cookies (or maybe two bigger cookies), divide by 4. For 2 cookies, divide by 6. For 12 cookies, divide by 12.
Or you cheat, and use a Recipe Resizer, of which there are many, even apps.
Which, as you can imagine, may be tiny or weird amounts. So it might be easier to look for single-serving cookie recipes, now that I think about it... [laughing] just be careful to confirm whether they're oven or microwave recipes, because that might affect results.
Any which way, I'd suggest figuring out how many ingredients you'll be swapping out, doing all the measuring ahead of time, LABELING them well throughout the process, and taking before mixing, after mixing, on the cookie sheet before and after baking, and then visual and taste-test results. Be generous with photos and notetaking during the process so your child has it for the display, if needed.
For those pre-measured amounts, if you don't have a zillion little cups to use, even something like dixie cups would probably work.
posted by stormyteal at 6:22 PM on January 7 [1 favorite]
I'd sort of recommend you try a new recipe out to start with to make sure it's an ok cookie, or reduce the quantities of a recipe you already have and know and want to use.
So, for 6 cookies, you'd divide each of those amounts in half. For 3 cookies (or maybe two bigger cookies), divide by 4. For 2 cookies, divide by 6. For 12 cookies, divide by 12.
Or you cheat, and use a Recipe Resizer, of which there are many, even apps.
Which, as you can imagine, may be tiny or weird amounts. So it might be easier to look for single-serving cookie recipes, now that I think about it... [laughing] just be careful to confirm whether they're oven or microwave recipes, because that might affect results.
Any which way, I'd suggest figuring out how many ingredients you'll be swapping out, doing all the measuring ahead of time, LABELING them well throughout the process, and taking before mixing, after mixing, on the cookie sheet before and after baking, and then visual and taste-test results. Be generous with photos and notetaking during the process so your child has it for the display, if needed.
For those pre-measured amounts, if you don't have a zillion little cups to use, even something like dixie cups would probably work.
posted by stormyteal at 6:22 PM on January 7 [1 favorite]
"I want to take this ingredient out, or that ingredient out, and see what happens."
A fine exercise for a cookie-cooking science project.
You could also try replacements, for example if half the flour is replaced with corn meal, what's the result like?
posted by Rash at 6:31 PM on January 7 [1 favorite]
A fine exercise for a cookie-cooking science project.
You could also try replacements, for example if half the flour is replaced with corn meal, what's the result like?
posted by Rash at 6:31 PM on January 7 [1 favorite]
Your kids is on the right track for learning about both science and baking. I’d recommend starting out with a basic recipe. Here’s the Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe.. You can half the recipe by dividing all the ingredients in half and then just following the recipe as normal.
Bake a batch with the recipe as is. That’s the control.
Then ask your kid what they think each of the ingredients does and what will happen if they remove it. (formulating a hypothesis)
Remove one ingredient (variable) and remake the cookies with everything else the same as the first time. (Testing the hypothesis)
Write down the results. Were they right? If not what did they learn?
Congratulations, you just followed the scientific method and learned what an ingredient in the chocolate chip cookie recipe does. Repeat as desired. (Leaving out some ingredients, like flour or fats, will make a bigger mess than others).
Knowing the role of different ingredients in recipes is a big step toward being a great baker.
posted by chrisulonic at 6:36 PM on January 7 [9 favorites]
Bake a batch with the recipe as is. That’s the control.
Then ask your kid what they think each of the ingredients does and what will happen if they remove it. (formulating a hypothesis)
Remove one ingredient (variable) and remake the cookies with everything else the same as the first time. (Testing the hypothesis)
Write down the results. Were they right? If not what did they learn?
Congratulations, you just followed the scientific method and learned what an ingredient in the chocolate chip cookie recipe does. Repeat as desired. (Leaving out some ingredients, like flour or fats, will make a bigger mess than others).
Knowing the role of different ingredients in recipes is a big step toward being a great baker.
posted by chrisulonic at 6:36 PM on January 7 [9 favorites]
Do I have the perfect interactive data visualization for you and your kid!
I've used this as an example for graduate students I teach--it's a proof-of-concept that it's possible to create a robust AND appealing way to present your data...and you don't have to get all Tufte about it.
posted by yellowcandy at 6:40 PM on January 7 [6 favorites]
I've used this as an example for graduate students I teach--it's a proof-of-concept that it's possible to create a robust AND appealing way to present your data...and you don't have to get all Tufte about it.
posted by yellowcandy at 6:40 PM on January 7 [6 favorites]
I’d recommend seeing what happens if you double or halve certain ingredients, rather than (or maybe in addition to) completely removing them. That way you’ll still wind up with something recognizable as cookies in the end, but you’ll be able to see clear differences. Try doubling and halving the butter or the sugar.
posted by showbiz_liz at 6:40 PM on January 7 [3 favorites]
posted by showbiz_liz at 6:40 PM on January 7 [3 favorites]
See if you can make a healthier cookie by adding (or subbing) ingredients like zucchini, beans, kale, apples, etc.. I'm sure that there are already recipes like that out there. To add a quantitative component, you can do a taste-test having people do a blind rating (on a scale of 1 to 10) of the healthier cookies vs. the conventional cookies. Maybe you'll discover that there is very little difference in preference -- or maybe the healthier ones will turn out to be tastier!
posted by alex1965 at 7:00 PM on January 7
posted by alex1965 at 7:00 PM on January 7
Not cookies, but this Rice Krispie experiment might be of interest… https://steamcommunity.com/app/323190/discussions/0/2659871421121155338/
posted by raccoon409 at 7:01 PM on January 7
posted by raccoon409 at 7:01 PM on January 7
There's an awesome chart that shows variations in cookie results when you change an ingredient, might be useful.
posted by theora55 at 7:48 PM on January 7 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 7:48 PM on January 7 [1 favorite]
How about an experiment on how evenly chocolate chips are distributed in chocolate chip cookies, and if stirring time makes a difference. You could divide a batch into thirds, and stir one for 30 seconds, one for 1 minute, and 1 for 1.5 minutes. Then, using a scoop to keep the cookies the same size (or a food scale for extra precision), count the chips per cookie and see if there's a difference. Counting without destroying will be easier if you use a recipe that gives you a flatter cookie. You could also do it with different kinds /sizes of chips, etc. ((I kind of want to do this myself now actually, lol))
posted by Sparky Buttons at 7:56 PM on January 7 [1 favorite]
posted by Sparky Buttons at 7:56 PM on January 7 [1 favorite]
There are all kinds of folk claims about the effects of different preparations and ingredients in cookies. You could design experiments to test a couple, ideally claims that are quantifiable.
For example, here are a few claims made by The Food Lab's Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
For example, here are a few claims made by The Food Lab's Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Browning the butter gives the cookies a more intensely nutty, butterscotch flavor.posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 8:21 PM on January 7
Chopping the chocolate by hand creates large and small pieces for more textural and flavor contrast.
An overnight rest allows enzymes to break down large carbohydrates, enhancing the caramelization and browning process the next day to help the cookies develop deeper flavor.
Tearing apart and recombining the dough makes a rougher surface for craggier cookies.
Honestly scaling the recipe up or down could be the experiment. Use teremala's one-cookie recipe and calculate what the amounts will be if you scale, say, the flour up to the amount in the toll house recipe (you don't want to go by number of cookies because the one-cookie recipe makes a huge cookie, and you don't want to go by number of eggs because the one-cookie recipe is clearly built around using a whole egg, but you could use the sugar or butter as a "control" ingredient instead I suppose). Bake both and compare how they come out. Then scale down the toll house, bake both, and compare. (It shouldn't be an issue for chocolate chip cookies to "halve" eggs by scrambling them and using a liquid measure, or measuring by weight; I'd even figure out how many you'll need total, mix all of that together, figure out its total size, and measure off that proportionally.) Hopefully there's also a convenient in-between, like doubling the single-cookie recipe is about the same amount of dough as halving the toll house, or thereabouts. Definitely make cookies the same size for each size of dough batch, and ideally overall, even if this means the one-cookie actually ends up being four or whatever.
Then you have hopefully some observable variations, and lots of follow-up questions like: do the different properties at equal batch sizes match the chart linked above? (E.g. the single cookie scaled up is probably gonna be higher in egg content; does the result look that way?) Is the difference in the same recipe at different batch sizes due to constant biases in measuring error, something about the amount of dough you're mixing at once, or something else? (How can you tell?) Can you extrapolate what you observe to adjust recipes as you change sizes? (Check whether it works by quadrupling or sextupling the toll house recipe! Or by making another singleton batch of it, I guess.)
Disclaimer: this sounds fun, and I'm interested in the results, but I've never tried it. But it's a known confounder for this kind of testing that batch size matters, so if you aren't willing to do a full batch for every possible variation, you almost have to start here.
posted by dick dale the vampire at 9:40 PM on January 7 [1 favorite]
Then you have hopefully some observable variations, and lots of follow-up questions like: do the different properties at equal batch sizes match the chart linked above? (E.g. the single cookie scaled up is probably gonna be higher in egg content; does the result look that way?) Is the difference in the same recipe at different batch sizes due to constant biases in measuring error, something about the amount of dough you're mixing at once, or something else? (How can you tell?) Can you extrapolate what you observe to adjust recipes as you change sizes? (Check whether it works by quadrupling or sextupling the toll house recipe! Or by making another singleton batch of it, I guess.)
Disclaimer: this sounds fun, and I'm interested in the results, but I've never tried it. But it's a known confounder for this kind of testing that batch size matters, so if you aren't willing to do a full batch for every possible variation, you almost have to start here.
posted by dick dale the vampire at 9:40 PM on January 7 [1 favorite]
Oh, and as far as avoiding melted cookie pile messes goes: I don't know as much as I'd like about what every ingredient does either, but I do know from bitter experience that the order they're mixed matters a lot. So definitely save testing that for when the kid is into it enough and old enough to buy the ingredients and clean up after themselves.
posted by dick dale the vampire at 9:44 PM on January 7
posted by dick dale the vampire at 9:44 PM on January 7
I literally did this when I was a kid! I experimented with different fats (butter, margarine, oil) and probably other things too, though that’s the only ingredient swap I remember 30 years later. I do remember feeling important because I had my dad print out transparencies of my project info at his work and I got to put them on the overhead in class.
Even just varying the fats resulted in quite different cookies. I remember that very well.
posted by tubedogg at 12:34 AM on January 8 [2 favorites]
Even just varying the fats resulted in quite different cookies. I remember that very well.
posted by tubedogg at 12:34 AM on January 8 [2 favorites]
One method that will produce all-edible cookies would be to try cheap vs expensive ingredients: maybe butter, chocolate chips and flour, subbing just one ingredient for each batch, plus a control group with all cheap.
Then blind tasting to see which differences are identifiable (or worth it). While you’re doing it, there could also be a batch with all fancy ingredients for completeness, but obviously the idea of changing one variable at a time is important.
The ‘science’ would be more about experimental design than food science/chemistry, I guess.
posted by Bloxworth Snout at 2:29 AM on January 8 [2 favorites]
Then blind tasting to see which differences are identifiable (or worth it). While you’re doing it, there could also be a batch with all fancy ingredients for completeness, but obviously the idea of changing one variable at a time is important.
The ‘science’ would be more about experimental design than food science/chemistry, I guess.
posted by Bloxworth Snout at 2:29 AM on January 8 [2 favorites]
I love the idea of testing different cookie sheets. It's actually a resource I wish I had! The things I'm most curious about are thin nonstick, heavy aluminum sheet pan, and the same things but with parchment paper liner and silpat liner. (Do they still make insulated sheets? I thought that was a fad that passed.) Also, top rack, bottom rack, swap halfway.
I also love the cheap vs fancy test.
posted by advicepig at 7:16 AM on January 8 [2 favorites]
I also love the cheap vs fancy test.
posted by advicepig at 7:16 AM on January 8 [2 favorites]
I would also like to know if you can skip preheating the oven and how long it takes to make a good basic cookie that way vs the recipe time
posted by advicepig at 7:18 AM on January 8
posted by advicepig at 7:18 AM on January 8
If you don't mind your kid eating cookie dough, you can just do a simple observational experiment related to baking time. Put the whole batch in at T=0min and try to aim for uniform cookie dough balls. Take 2 cookies out every minute T=1, T=2, etc. and use one of the cookies you take out for measurement -- height, circumference, interior temperature (need a thermometer), etc. You can also take pics and grade the coloring, meltiness of chips, etc. Measure everything you can about it at every time and make a big chart showing how it all evolves as the cooking time increases. Your kid can taste test the other cookie that came out at each time and log all the sensory observations -- is it grainy, salty, sweet, can you experience the heterogeneous ingredients still, etc? In terms of hypothesis, does your kid think there's an optimal internal temperature at which the ingredients come together into what is known as a cookie? What is it? How does time affect the optimal cookie experience?
posted by luzdeluna at 7:36 AM on January 8 [1 favorite]
posted by luzdeluna at 7:36 AM on January 8 [1 favorite]
Mod note: One comment edited to replace the 'pre' tag with the 'blockquote' tag for more user friendly display.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 8:14 AM on January 8
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 8:14 AM on January 8
My daughter and I did this when she was in 5th grade! We experimented with egg substitutes in sugar cookies. It was a ton of fun and the banana ones were shockingly good.
posted by saladin at 5:21 PM on January 8
posted by saladin at 5:21 PM on January 8
If you don't mind your kid eating cookie dough
I am a lifelong enjoyer of and champion of eating uncooked cookie dough, but given the current bird flu situation, even I am not doing this and I would suggest not doing this right now.
posted by needs more cowbell at 3:06 AM on January 9
I am a lifelong enjoyer of and champion of eating uncooked cookie dough, but given the current bird flu situation, even I am not doing this and I would suggest not doing this right now.
posted by needs more cowbell at 3:06 AM on January 9
given the current bird flu situation
The problem often is not even the eggs, it's the flour, which nobody thinks about. Unless you're buying heat-treated flour (which is what they put in the "OK to eat raw" store-bought cookie dough), the flour is as likely to cause you problems as the eggs.
posted by tubedogg at 12:32 PM on January 9 [1 favorite]
The problem often is not even the eggs, it's the flour, which nobody thinks about. Unless you're buying heat-treated flour (which is what they put in the "OK to eat raw" store-bought cookie dough), the flour is as likely to cause you problems as the eggs.
posted by tubedogg at 12:32 PM on January 9 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks all! To close it out for future readers— the links were super helpful, I went through them with my kiddo. She picked out her hypothesis which is focused on chocolate types and shapes! So we will use one base recipe and mix in different chocolates. Tasty, fun, and educational!
posted by inevitability at 10:32 AM on January 21 [2 favorites]
posted by inevitability at 10:32 AM on January 21 [2 favorites]
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posted by needs more cowbell at 5:13 PM on January 7 [9 favorites]