Baking cookies: You should definitely avoid these 5 mistakes! | Life & Knowledge

2023-11-26 14:45:58

There are many treats in the Christmas bakery. But when you start using molds and rolling pins again, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

1. Bake cookies too hot

The wrong oven temperature in combination with certain ingredients can lead to the formation of acrylamide – and that is harmful to your health!

Acrylamide is used in industry for the production of plastics and dyes. It occurs at high heat in starchy foods – when baking, deep-frying, roasting and roasting. The dangerous thing: According to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), acrylamide in food can change the genetic material and cause cancer.

▶︎ The basic rule: Do not make the stove too hot! At lower baking temperatures, significantly smaller amounts of acrylamide are formed. Temperatures of 190 degrees Celsius for top and bottom heat or 170 degrees for circulating air should not be exceeded.

▶︎ Gilding instead of charring! The cookies should only be baked until golden. The hotter and drier they are baked in the oven, the higher the acrylamide value rises.

▶︎ The treats should be as large as possible because: Large pieces of pastry contain less acrylamide. Baking paper also prevents the cookies from browning too much from below.

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2. Use the wrong raising agent

The raising agent used is also important. Deer horn salt, which is traditionally used in gingerbread, can significantly increase the acrylamide content. It is better to use baking soda or baking powder.

3. Using too much cinnamon

Cinnamon contains the natural aromatic coumarin, which in large quantities can damage the liver of sensitive people and children. Stiftung Warentest recommends the Ceylon variety instead of Cassia when it comes to cinnamon powder. In earlier tests, much lower coumarin levels were found in Ceylon.

4. Bake with already ground nuts

Consumer experts also recommend buying whole nuts instead of ready-ground hazelnuts and walnuts and chopping them up yourself. Ground nuts are more susceptible to mold, which can produce toxic metabolites.

Almonds, on the other hand, should only be roasted whole, not in sticks or slices. Adding egg to the dough can also reduce the formation of acrylamide.

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5. Snack on raw dough

Raw eggs are a major source of salmonella, which causes abdominal cramps and severe diarrhea. Therefore, you should be particularly careful when snacking on the raw cookie dough beforehand. Luckily: the pathogens die off at temperatures above 70 degrees Celsius, including in the oven. And: The dough should not be left at room temperature for longer than 30 minutes.