Looking Back: What Happened? For this lab I worked with Savreen, Evan, and Mayra. We made chocolate chip cookies, but the main purpose of doing this experiment was to test two different cookie dough's. One of the cookie dough's spent 24 hours in a fridge, the other dough was baked right after we had made it. The cookies ended up tasting really good, and as predicted the cookie dough that spent 24 hours in the fridge tasted better. Looking Beyond: What's the Science? I have done quite a few labs that involve food, so I was aware of the science that was happening. Each ingredient plays an important role in how the cookies turn out, and it was interesting to learn more about that. Butter: When you mix water with flour, it forms gluten and since gluten can't form in fat the butter used hinders the gluten formation, which then makes the cookies more tender. Butter also gives the most flavor in the cookie, butter is 3 to 5% milk protein, 15% water, and 80 to 83% butterfat. The proteins in the butter browns during the baking process, which affects the cookies final flavor. Egg Whites: There is no water added to cookie dough, the water is found in the egg whites, there is also protein found in this part of the egg. The protein in the egg whites holds on to the water vapor. Egg Yolks: Protein and moisture is also provided through the yolks, but they mainly bring a nicely emulsified source of fat. White Sugar: This type of sugar is a crystallized sucrose, or a disaccharide which is when two sugars are combined, and a water molecule is removed. In white sugar fructose and glucose are the two sugar molecules being combined. Brown Sugar: This sugar is mostly crystallized sucrose, there are traces of minerals found along with fructose and glucose. The minerals affect its flavor, while also giving this sugar a slightly acidic pH. Baking Soda: Sodium Bicarbonate is all this is, which is also a base, or an alkaline powder. Baking soda reacts very quickly when dissolved in water, and mixed in with an acid. It then turns into carbon dioxide, sodium, and water. Flour: Gluten is formed when flour and water come in contact, flour also binds all of the ingredients used together. Letting your cookie dough rest, is the key to having the best tasting cookie. While the cookie is baking, the starches and the proteins in the flour break down and then combine, bringing all of the ingredients together. When you let your cookies rest, you're giving the deconstruction process more time, allowing the flavor to really develop. Looking Inward: Did you get desirable results? Yes, I think we got desirable results, making these cookies was a very long process and in order to get it done in the short amount of time we had, it required all of us to work together. When it came to making the cookie batters and baking them, we all stayed focused because we knew we had to get it done, but while they were baking that's when we knew we could have fun. I think I performed well during this lab. We all did our part, and made sure to equally contribute what we had to do. Looking Outward: Collaboration and Impact During this lab I worked with Evan, Mayra, and Savreen, and I think we performed very well. We all brought the ingredients we said we were going to bring, and while we were making the cookies we stayed focused when we had to. What I personally contributed is like I said before, I brought the materials I was in charge for, and I also took the lead while writing the proposal. At first we were just going to make cookies and I was the one who mentioned baking two different batches and testing the differences. Looking Forward: What Next? If I could do this lab, I would try to plan it on days we have more time. We were really rushed while doing this experiment, which was kind of stressful. Also, when we found this experiment online it said to let a batch of dough rest for two days, and since we didn't have enough time, our dough only rested for one dough. I would like to work with Evan, Mayra, and Savreen again, because usually in groups especially one of this size you have on or two people who don't do anything and that wasn't the case. I don't think there is a way to continue this experiment in particular, we could do another lab involving food, or maybe do this lab again, but other than that I don't think more can be done. Take Away: Summary The first thing we did was make a first dough, and let that sit in Mr. Aguirre's fridge until the next day. After 24 hours were up we went back to the staff kitchen and made another batch of dough, then we started baking those cookies. While they were baking we got the batch from the fridge and let them soften a little bit, because the dough was rock solid. Once the first dough was done baking we put all of those cookies in one container, and for fun we melted some chocolate and put it on eight cookies (each cookie was cut in half.) Then finally the second batch of cookies finished baking, and we put melted chocolate on eight of those cookies. Then in a separate container, we put those cookies inside, by the time we got to this point we were already in third period which is humanities, and no one told us, so we really started rushing. This is where things got really hectic, we went to the great room which is where many classrooms are located, and people came up to us asking for some cookies. The problem is a lot of people took cookies from one container and none from the other, then when we tried telling them something they were already gone. We still ended up getting a few people who actually participated in our experiment. Our final results were with no chocolate 3 people like cookie one, and 8 people liked cookie two, cookie two being the dough that was refrigerated. With chocolate 2 people liked cookie one, 3 people like cookie two. The final results ended up being like expected, majority of people like the cookie with the refrigerated dough.
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December 2015
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