What is "the size of a walnut"?
I was baking cookies, and the instructions said to make balls "the size of a walnut." I've always taken that instruction to mean the size of the whole nut, shell included.
Well, in this case, it seemed a little large to me, so I made them smaller. The recipe said it would make 3-4 dozen cookies, but even with my smaller sizes, I only ended up with 2 1/2 dozen cookies.
So, am I wrong? What does "the size of a walnut" mean to you?
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7 Comments:
I don't think that every recipe is truly tested for the number of cookies it makes.
If you are looking at Joy of Cooking or some basic recipe, you can be pretty sure of # of cookies but I find that many recipes - especially off the web - are somewhat off.
Quality control issues???
Nonny at 8:04PM on 09/03/08
I never end up with the right number of cookies. But I've found that "the size of a walnut" is usually about a tablespoon. Or one of those small cookie scoops. Or the big spoon in your silverware drawer. :)
amanda0730 at 8:30PM on 09/03/08
I would think it is 2 tbsp or 1/8 of a cup
MissMelissa at 10:47PM on 09/03/08
"The size of a walnut" was common in my Pennsylvania grandmother's recipes as a measure for butter. I assume that phrase was based on the native American walnut rather than the English walnut. The English walnut is the walnut we see in stores now but I don't remember seeing it until the sixties, although it must have been around in the west where English walnuts are grown.
As the native American walnut is a little smaller, in an older recipe derived in the Northeast or Midwest, I would expect the phrase to mean about a heaping tablespoon.
And I too never come out with the right number of cookies!
Blue Iris at 2:57PM on 09/04/08
I use a 2-Tbsp cookie scoop and they come out a nice size. But it doesn't matter how many cookies I end up with, they all get eaten very quickly. I don't think anybody's counting in my household!
buffy at 4:13PM on 09/04/08
Maybe for this generation recipes should say, "the size of a Timbit". ;-)
LunaPierCook at 5:05AM on 09/05/08
Thanks for the responses. Obviously, "the size of a walnut" isn't an exact measurement, and the size of a cookie isn't critically important. For the most part, I make cookies so they end up the size I want them to be, and don't worry much about how many the recipe makes. In this case, though, I planned on sending some cookies to work with DH, and it would have been nice to have more to send, after I kept the amount I wanted for us.
dbcurrie at 2:40PM on 09/05/08