what does each ingrideint mean to the cookie recipe? i am doing an experiment so i need to know how each ingr

Question

it`S for my science fair project!

Answer 1

stucture, texture and flavor are your parameters.

1. Egg and flour provide the structure to a cookie.
2. The type of sugar can effect texture... brown sugar tends to help retain moisture which makes for a softer (flexible) cookie while using only white sugar will make for a firmer (stiffer) cookie.
3. The fat and the leavening (baking power or baking soda) helps to tenderize the cookie. The fat "softens" the crumb while the leavening "puffs" up the dough so it's airy not a compact clump... sort of like the difference between a biscotti and a buttermilk biscuit.
4. Chocolate chips, vanilla, salt and sugar provide the flavor.

The joy of baking website gives pretty good info on ingredients and it's effects in baking recipes.

Also, a good book to look at is "On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen" by Harold McGee.

As a reference, I'm using the basic toll house cookie recipe...
Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts

Answer 2

on what cookie recipe? There are many recipes what recipe are you using so we can decipher what is doing what.