[Sca-cooks] baking soda vs. baking powder

[Leah A. Montgomery]

>Okay you food chemists out there, *why* would one of these work in this 
>recipe but the other wouldn't and yet both seemed to give the same rise to 
>this food. Maybe this depends upon what "snickerdoodles" are?
>Stefan

First, snickerdoodles are a cookie, and if you have had to live without them 
for your entire life, I will have to correct that someday! What a horrible 
thought, having never been able to taste a snickerdoodle. They are 
wonderful.

Second, baking soda is just that, baking soda ie: bicarbonate of soda, or 
soda bicarbonate, or even sodium bicarbonate, depending on which label you 
read. Baking powder is a mix of stuff including baking soda. Mine (Clabber 
Girl) has Cornstarch, bicarbonate of soda, sodium aluminum sulfate and acid 
phosphate of calcium. Baking soda is stronger and has a stronger taste than 
baking powder, hence the icky taste if you sub soda for powder. My 
snickerdoodle recipe calls for cream of tartar, which is stronger than 
powder, not as strong as soda, and as mild as powder. If you sub baking 
powder for cream of tartar, you generally use about twice as much. *phew* 
Hope that helps.




Leah A. Montgomery
SCA: Safia bint Wahib al Marakeshi called Samira
Head of Byat Al Viola Hirrar
Bryn Gwlad, Ansteorra (Austin, TX)
mog_bane at hotmail.com

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