DEAR HELOISE: What is the ingredient that makes the difference between soft and crisp cookies?
-- Kathleen H.,
Camp Hill, Pa.
DEAR READER: Kathleen, high moisture does, as well as baking time, and the temperature must be adjusted to retain moisture. Binding the water in butter, eggs and brown sugar (which contains molasses, which is 10 percent water) with flour slows its evaporation. There's also a little more flour in a soft cookie. Volume also helps cookies stay moist. A large cookie rather than a small spoon-drop cookie usually will be softer. They're baked for shorter time periods at a higher temperature.
DEAR HELOISE: I cook two scrambled eggs in a very small skillet to preserve the shape and size. I turn them once to cook on both sides, then I stack them on a saucer, cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve, I warm them in the microwave on half power and top with diced fresh tomatoes, grated cheese or precooked bacon. It works well and saves time.
-- Lana D.,
Taylorsville, N.C.
DEAR READER: Lana, now that's a clever way to get breakfast in the morning.
DEAR HELOISE: My boyfriend loves good coffee, and I'd like to serve him some creative coffees, except that I'm a total klutz in the kitchen. Do you have any ideas or recipes on how to make plain coffee a little more interesting? Please, nothing complicated or where I have to go buy a fancy machine.
-- Joan E.,
Maplewood, Minn.
DEAR READER: Joan, I have several recipes, but one of my favorites is Mocha Coffee:
1/2 cup instant coffee granules
1/2 cup sugar (or equivalent measure using a sugar substitute)
1 cup powdered milk or powdered creamer (nonfat creamer also is OK to use)
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
Mix the ingredients together and store in a labeled container. Just mix with hot water when ready to use.
DEAR READERS: Freezing does not kill bacteria, it only stops the growth. The only thing that will kill bacteria and help to prevent food poisoning is cooking food at high-enough temperatures.
Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email
Heloise@Heloise.com
Food on 07/12/2017