Cookie dough is everyone’s favorite childhood treat, bringing up images of sugar and butter mixing together to create a delicious batter ready to be baked into warm, gooey cookies. It’s hard not to sneak a few spoonfuls of cookie dough while preparing the dough. But what about edible cookie dough? What’s the difference, and can you still enjoy the same delicious flavor without the risks of raw eggs or flour? Here we take a closer look at cookie dough and edible cookie dough, their differences, and what to look for in each.
Table of Contents
What is cookie dough?
Cookie dough is a mixture of ingredients used to make cookies. It usually consists of flour, butter, sugar, eggs, baking soda, salt, and vanilla extract. Chocolate chips are also often added, creating the classic chocolate chip cookie we all know and love. Cookie dough needs to be cooked, usually by baking them in a preheated oven, to make them safe for consumption.
What is edible cookie dough?
Edible cookie dough is a safe-to-eat version of classic cookie dough. Instead of using raw eggs, the recipe calls for pasteurized eggs. The other alternative is to eliminate the eggs altogether. To eliminate the risk of foodborne illness, the flour isn’t used raw either. Instead, it’s cooked in the oven for a few minutes to make it safe for consumption. Edible cookie dough is made the same way as regular cookie dough but is meant to be eaten unbaked.
What are the differences between cookie dough and edible cookie dough?
The primary difference between regular cookie dough and edible cookie dough is that cookie dough containing raw eggs or unbaked flour presents the risk of foodborne illness. Consuming raw eggs increases the risk of developing salmonella, while consuming raw flour can contain harmful bacteria. As already mentioned, the other significant difference is that edible cookie dough does not contain raw eggs or raw flour.
Can you still enjoy the same cookie dough flavor in edible cookie dough?
Yes, the same taste we all know and love from the classic cookie dough is still present in edible cookie dough. The recipe changes to make it edible and safe for consumption; it has little effect on the taste. You can even use your favorite classic cookie dough recipe to create a safe-to-eat version by pasteurizing the eggs and baking the flour.
What to look for in store-bought edible cookie dough?
Not everyone has the time or the desire to make edible cookie dough from scratch. Luckily, there are commercially produced edible cookie doughs available, and they are becoming increasingly popular. However, not all doughs are created equal. When purchasing edible cookie dough, here are some things to look for:
1. Pasteurization
When purchasing edible cookie dough, check if it contains pasteurized eggs. Pasteurization is the process of heat-treating the eggs to destroy any harmful bacteria present.
2. Baked flour
As with homemade edible cookie dough, check if the edible cookie dough has baked flour. It’s best to avoid any products that say “safe-to-eat raw” – this usually indicates raw flour, and as stated before, raw flour can contain harmful bacteria.
3. Read the label
When buying edible cookie dough, always read the ingredient list thoroughly. There might be other ingredients you want to avoid, such as synthetic flavors or preservatives.
Conclusion
Cookie dough may be a beloved childhood memory, but it’s essential to remember to handle it safely. Raw dough presents serious health risks, including the potential for salmonella from raw eggs and bacterial contamination from raw flour. Edible cookie dough offers a safe-to-eat alternative and maintains the same delicious flavor. Whether making homemade or purchasing store-bought edible cookie dough, always check for the use of pasteurized eggs and baked flour and read the ingredient list thoroughly. So go ahead and indulge in your favorite cookie dough flavor, safely.
FAQ
What happens if you try to bake edible cookie dough?
Edible cookie dough is a popular treat that has gained immense popularity over the years. It is a sweet and indulgent treat that can be eaten raw or baked. However, when it comes to baking, there are some things to consider before putting your edible cookie dough to the test.
First and foremost, it is important to note that edible cookie dough is not the same as regular cookie dough. Regular cookie dough contains eggs and leavening agents such as baking soda or powder, which help to develop texture and lift in the finished cookie. Edible cookie dough, on the other hand, does not contain these ingredients and is not designed to be baked.
If you attempt to bake edible cookie dough, you may find that it doesn’t hold up well in the oven. Without eggs and leavening agents, the cookie dough won’t rise or expand during baking, resulting in a dense and flat cookie. Additionally, the lack of these ingredients can cause the cookie dough to spread and become overly thin, resulting in burnt or overcooked cookies.
Furthermore, the high heat of the oven can cause the edible cookie dough to liquefy and lose shape, resulting in a sticky mess that is difficult to clean up. This is particularly true if your cookie dough contains chocolate chips or other mix-ins that can melt and spread during baking.
While it may be tempting to try and bake your edible cookie dough, it is not recommended. Edible cookie dough does not contain the necessary ingredients to hold up in the oven and may result in burnt, overcooked, or melted cookies. Instead, enjoy your edible cookie dough raw or as a topping for ice cream or other desserts.
Why isn’t regular cookie dough edible?
Many of us have heard our parents or grandparents warn us to not eat raw cookie dough because it can make us sick. But why is this the case? The reason lies in the ingredients that are used to make regular cookie dough.
Firstly, regular cookie dough contains raw flour, which has the potential to be contaminated with harmful bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella. These bacteria can be found in the soil where grains such as wheat are grown. During the manufacturing process, the grains are ground into flour which can then be used to make a wide variety of baked goods. However, the flour is not treated to remove any existing bacteria during this process, which means that any harmful bacteria present in the flour can survive and potentially make people ill.
The second ingredient in regular cookie dough that can cause harm is raw eggs. Eggs can also be contaminated with Salmonella which can make people sick if they consume them raw or undercooked. While cookies are usually baked in the oven, the egg contained within the dough is not cooked during the mixing process, and therefore can still carry this bacteria with it.
When ingested, these harmful bacteria found in raw flour and raw eggs can cause a whole range of gastrointestinal symptoms such as stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. While these symptoms may be mild in some cases, they can be severe in others, especially in young children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid consuming regular cookie dough until it has been cooked thoroughly.
The reason why regular cookie dough is not edible is due to the risk of harmful bacteria that exist in the raw ingredients of flour and eggs. Consuming raw cookie dough can lead to food poisoning caused by E. coli and Salmonella, which can cause unpleasant symptoms and in some cases, can be life-threatening. To avoid this risk, it is best to wait until the cookies have been baked and fully cooked before indulging in this sweet treat.