eli5: why isn’t it possible to cook e.g. cookies at twice the temperature for half the time? obviously i know it isn’t possible, but *why*? what’s the physics behind it?

Question

eli5: why isn’t it possible to cook e.g. cookies at twice the temperature for half the time? obviously i know it isn’t possible, but *why*? what’s the physics behind it?

In: 9

Answer 1

Different chemical reactions happen at different temperatures. Not just the same ones but faster. You have to cook at a temperature that’s above the

>eggs + flour = cookie

threshold, but below the

eggs + flour + oxygen from air = charcoal

threshold. If you double the temp and reach the burning/charring reaction threshold temp, then that reaction starts happening along side the baking reactions you want. Also you could have the burning outside before the inside even reaches the eggs+flour = cookie temp, so at every point along the timeline some part of it is either raw or burnt. You need to use a temp low enough that there’s at least some window where it’s all cooked but not burnt.