Baking Powder Experiment

J has a science project for his class. He chose to test out what baking powder does in a cookie recipe. (Yes, yes, yes, I had quite a bit of influence over his decision. ;)

After looking for a simple sugar cookie recipe with baking powder for awhile, I was surprised to find out that a lot of cookie recipes don't use any leavening agent. Who would have known that? I ended up choosing the Sugar Drop Cookie with Oil from Joy of Cooking. For J's experiment, we made 4 batches, one without any baking powder, one with half the amount, one with the specified amount, and one with double the amount.

What's even more astonishing is that there wasn't any significant difference in the end results in either the size or the taste, other than that the batch with half the baking powder was a little softer. So puzzling. Can someone explain this to me? Maybe cookies are not the best thing to test out baking powder. Maybe I should have made some muffins or cakes?

Sugar Drop Cookies with Oil
adapted from Joy of Cooking

2 ½ all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sugar (plus more for rolling the cookies in)
¾ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

Combine the sugar and oil. Add 1 egg at a time, mix well each time. Add vanilla extract, mix well.

Add the flour mixture. Shape the dough into ½-inch balls. Roll in balls in additional sugar.

Drop the balls on a cookie sheet. Flatten a little bit.

Bake for 10 - 12 minutes.