How does baking soda affect cookies?

Leavening agent: Baking soda is a leavening agent, which means it helps baked goods rise. When baking soda is mixed with an acidic ingredient, such as buttermilk, yogurt, or lemon juice, it reacts to produce carbon dioxide gas. This gas causes the dough or batter to rise, creating a light and fluffy texture in the finished product.

Browning: Baking soda can also help to brown baked goods. When it reacts with the sugars in the dough or batter, it creates a Maillard reaction, which is responsible for the golden brown color of many baked goods.

Tenderizing: Baking soda can help to tenderize baked goods by breaking down the proteins in the flour. This results in a softer, more tender texture.

Flavor: Baking soda can add a slightly alkaline flavor to baked goods, which can complement other flavors in the recipe, such as chocolate, nuts, or spices.

Texture: Baking soda can affect the texture of baked goods by making them lighter, fluffier, and more tender. It can also help to create a crispy crust on baked goods.

Here are some specific examples of how baking soda affects cookies:

* Chocolate chip cookies: Baking soda helps to create a chewy texture in chocolate chip cookies. It also reacts with the sugars in the dough to produce a golden brown color.

* Sugar cookies: Baking soda helps to make sugar cookies light and fluffy. It also helps to create a crispy crust on the cookies.

* Snickerdoodles: Baking soda helps to create the characteristic cracks on the surface of snickerdoodles. It also gives the cookies a slightly chewy texture.

* Oatmeal raisin cookies: Baking soda helps to make oatmeal raisin cookies soft and chewy. It also helps to bring out the flavor of the oats and raisins.

Overall, baking soda is an important ingredient in many cookie recipes. It helps to create a light, fluffy, and tender texture, as well as a golden brown color.