To salt or not to salt

[Jori]

I was making oatmeal raisin cookies. The recipe stated the salt was optional, I've never notice that before. But it got me to thinking, if I'm using salted butter then I shouldn't need to add salt or as much. Correct? I'm thinking if salt becomes hard to get can you just go with salted butter.

[Amishway Homesteaders]

For us anyway being that neither one of us uses salt to flavor food we just make things like that without it. When we eat out we can really taste the salt added to foods.

Now some things like bread need the salt to help make the yeast work, so check first.

PS by the way . . . . . . . . . GOOD QUESTION!

 

[Cat]

Must've been Hoosier cookie day today...? I made chocolate chip cookies for the first time in years. The kidlets are happy. Well, except for DS who has to wait until tomorrow to get his.

 

There was that push for lowering salt intake back some years ago. No, you don't HAVE to add salt if you're using salted butter. But if you do a taste test both ways, I think you'll find they are better with some added.

[Jori]

I promised the kids we would make them as a belated homemade father's day gift and that's what dh picked.

 

Cat- i almost tracked you down to see what you would say.

 

I told the kids we could make chocolate chip peanut butter chip cookies this weekend (want some in the freezer). DD informed me that chocolate chips are too messy. I told her to eat them faster. LOL

[Amishway Homesteaders]

nothing better then home-made cookies fresh out of the oven!

and a cold glass of Farm Fresh Milk.

[Cat]

DD informed me that chocolate chips are too messy. I told her to eat them faster. LOL

 

 

That girl ain't right!!!

 

You have to teach her the art of *chocolate*!!!

 

 

:24:

 

I usually add coconut flavoring to my chocolate chip cookie dough, along with the vanilla. It adds an elusive "what makes them taste different?" flavor that we like. I didn't have any left, so I added something I bought from "King Arthur Flour Company". http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/fiori-di-sicilia-1-oz I'm not sure I like it as much. It adds a kind of "orangey" flavor that just isn't the same.

 

((((((((((Jori))))))))) Hunt me down any time!

[Jori]

DD informed me that chocolate chips are too messy. I told her to eat them faster. LOL

 

 

That girl ain't right!!!

 

You have to teach her the art of *chocolate*!!!

 

 

:24:

 

I usually add coconut flavoring to my chocolate chip cookie dough, along with the vanilla. It adds an elusive "what makes them taste different?" flavor that we like. I didn't have any left, so I added something I bought from "King Arthur Flour Company". http://www.kingarthu...di-sicilia-1-oz I'm not sure I like it as much. It adds a kind of "orangey" flavor that just isn't the same.

 

((((((((((Jori))))))))) Hunt me down any time!

 

I have a recipe that calls for oil and butter. They stay so soft and two different types of chips. So good!!

[Cat]

I have a recipe that calls for oil and butter. They stay so soft and two different types of chips. So good!!

 

Recipe in the Kitchen or it never existed.

 

 

 

[Andrea]

 

I have a recipe that calls for oil and butter. They stay so soft and two different types of chips. So good!!

 

What Cat said! You can't go taunting us with cookies that always stay soft and not share the recipe!

[Ambergris]

Except when making bread, I routinely cut the salt by half in my recipes.

[HazelStone]

I was making oatmeal raisin cookies. The recipe stated the salt was optional, I've never notice that before. But it got me to thinking, if I'm using salted butter then I shouldn't need to add salt or as much. Correct? I'm thinking if salt becomes hard to get can you just go with salted butter.

 

If salt gets hard to get, I assume butter would be even harder to get...and local farmers might not do salted butter in that case, if they were even selling it. I do want to start experimenting with dessert recipes using olive oil instead of butter. I can never convince DH that we should have more butter on hand (though he loves the butter intensive treats and suggests we bring those to pot-luck type social gatherings).

 

That said, on the cookie front I sometimes use almond extract instead of vanilla.

[Jori]

For Cat and Andrea~ (Since I had to get the recipe, I figured I would make them using peanut butter chips and bittersweet chips.

 

Doughbox Bakery Cookies

Archbold, Ohio

 

Midwest Living March/April 2010

 

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 1/4 c vegetable oil

1 1/4 c granulated sugar

2 1/4 c packed brown sugar

2 1/4 t baking soda

2 t vanilla

1 1/2 t salt

5 eggs

5 1/2 c all-purpose flour

2 12 ounce packages semisweet chocolate pieces (4 cups total) **

 

** I never use 4 cups of semisweet chocolate chips, I mix half and half with semi, bittersweet, m & m's, milk chocolate chips, etc. I play with the combination all of the time but my personal favorite is semisweet and bittersweet mix.

 

1. In a very large mixing bowl, beat butter with electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add vegetable oil, sugars, soda, vanilla, and salt. Beat until mixture is combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed after each additional until combined. Add flour, one cup at a time, beating in as much as you can with mixer on low speed. Stir in any remaining flour with a wooden spoon until combined. Stir in chocolate pieces.

 

2. Drop dough be rounded tablespoons or by using a small cookie scoop 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in a 350* oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are light brown and centers are set. Cool on cookie sheets for 2 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; cool. Makes about 80 cookies. (I get closer to 8 dozen)