Converting a cookie recipe: ginger to chocolate

[MRobertson_NC]

Hello!

I have a ginger cookie recipe I love, and I would like to try making essentially the same cookie (and quantity per batch) in chocolate form. It doesn't appear that replacing all of the spices (1.5 tsp total) in one with cocoa in the other will give me a sufficient amount of chocolate, but I'm not sure how much more cocoa it will take or how I will need to adjust the other ingredients to make it work.

Does anyone have recommendations on converting the following? Thanks in advance!

- 6 oz. unsalted butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup molasses [I use 1/8 C molasses + 1/8 C dark honey]
- 2 1/4 cups AP flour
- 2 tsp. baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ginger
- 1/4 tsp. cloves
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. allspice

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Hello!

I have a ginger cookie recipe I love, and I would like to try making essentially the same cookie (and quantity per batch) in chocolate form. It doesn't appear that replacing all of the spices (1.5 tsp total) in one with cocoa in the other will give me a sufficient amount of chocolate, but I'm not sure how much more cocoa it will take or how I will need to adjust the other ingredients to make it work.

Does anyone have recommendations on converting the following? Thanks in advance!

- 6 oz. unsalted butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup molasses [I use 1/8 C molasses + 1/8 C dark honey]
- 2 1/4 cups AP flour
- 2 tsp. baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ginger
- 1/4 tsp. cloves
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. allspice

It would be simpler to just look for a chocolate cookie recipe because you would just end up wasting a lot of time and ingredients testing batches. Here are your issues.

1. the recipe is in volume with the exception of the butter, so its impossible to know the baker’s percentages; a cup of flour can weight anywhere from 120g to 155g. It’s anyone’s guess how much flour is going in the bowl every time you bake a batch of cookies.

2. chocolate and spice are two totally different cookies

3. the invert sugar (molasses) creates a specific texture as it adds moisture; but cocoa powder is highly hygroscopic, so you need to adjust for that increase moisture absorption to prevent a dry and crumbly cookie

4. molasses can be acidic; baking soda is an alkaline (base); dutch process cocoa powder is neutralized ; natural cocoa powder is acidic. if you use the wrong combination of ingredients the baking soda will not activate.

5. AP flour is a generalized term that does not mean anything. The protein content and the flour treatment determines the texture of the finished baked goods. King Arthur AP has a protein content of 11.7% and is unbleached; Gold Medal AP has a protein content of 10% - 10.5% and is bleached; Whole Foods 365 Organic AP has a protein content of 10% and is unbleached.

6. An unbleached, high protein flour absorbs far more moisture and a low protein, bleached flour. If you mix cocoa powder, which is highly hygroscopic, with Gold Medal, you will get less moisture absorption than if you mix it with King Arthur. So you need to know how to make the adjustments in moisture for the cocoa powder and the flour brand.