Heat Treating Flour Safely for No-Bake Recipes and Dough
Eating raw cookie dough, or making edible cookie dough can be a guilty pleasure for many of us, but is it safe to eat raw ingredients? Maybe you’ve heard that you should be heat treating flour before consuming a raw dough, but is that necessary? And if it is, how do you heat treat flour? Here’s a look at what you need to know before you make your next edible cookie dough.
Understanding Flour
Flour is made from grain and while it does go through the process of being cleaned and tempered, it’s still considered a raw ingredient. As such, it has the risk of carrying bacteria. This is similar to raw eggs. Each ingredient has the ability to contain germs that can lead to food born illnesses.
We usually don’t have to worry about this because when we bake cookies, pies, or cakes, the bacteria is killed in the oven. But for unbaked items, it’s a different story. That’s why they say not to eat raw cookie dough. The combination of the raw eggs, and flour, increases the risk of getting sick. But what about when you make a no-bake dessert? A lot of no-bake recipes omit the eggs to make them safer, but the flour is often overlooked.
Is Heat Treating Flour Necessary
The FDC actually advises not to heat treat flour at home because it’s not effective. They don’t feel like the home versions are adequate, and it doesn’t make raw flour safe to eat. Here’s an article from the CDC if you want to learn more about raw flour and dough.
How to Heat Treat Flour
I know I said above that heat treating flour is not necessary, but you may still decide that you don’t want to take any chances. This is especially true if you want to share edible cookie dough with friends or family. I mean who wants to take the risk of possibly making someone sick. So if you want to play it safe and heat the flour before using it in a no-bake treat, here are a couple of options.
Heat Treating Flour by Oven
There are two easy ways to heat treat flour. The first is to bake the flour in the oven before using. For this process, follow these steps.
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out an even layer of flour on top of the parchment. Bake the flour in the oven for about 5 minutes. Stir and then bake for another 5 minutes.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and check the temperature of the flour. Use a food thermometer to make sure that the flour has reached a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 degrees Celsius).
- Let the flour cool completely before using in a recipe.
Heat Treating Flour in Microwave
A faster option is to heat treat the flour in the microwave. Put the flour in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir the flour and continue heating in 30-second intervals until the flour measures a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Using Heat Treated Flour
Once your heat treated flour has cooled, it’s ready to use in your favorite edible cookie dough recipe, like this funfetti edible cookie dough recipe. I find that the flour can get a little clumpy after being heated, so I like to sift it before using. Have fun making your favorite no-bake dessert with your heat treated flour. Now you can indulge in your favorite treat without fear.
Follow me on Pinterest for more fun and easy cookie recipes to make for any occasion. Including easy no-bake desserts that are perfect for a last minute get together.
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