Three things happen during baking that change the flavor of a cookie.
Maillard reaction, caramelization, and the melting of fats. There are more, but those are the three we’re going to talk about.
The maillard reaction takes raw flour and turns it brown. It absorbs some of the sugar in the process, and creates a more complex, nutty flavor. Caramelization also browns some of the sugar, giving it a smoky, bitter flavor. They also give the cookie a firm or crispy texture.
You also melt any fats, like butter, that are in the dough. Melted butter separates and spreads throughout the cookie.
There’s also often an egg that helps build structure for the baked dough, and sometimes baking soda for fluffiness.
This means uncooked dough is sweeter than a baked cookie. It has a soft, dense, and moist texture that disappears when fully baked. It’s butter and sugar held together with flour and egg, and it’s delicious.
I often prefer slightly undercooked baked goods.
Same reason people love raw cookie dough. They just like the taste.
Because I will eat fistfuls of raw cookie dough. Raw eggs are safe where I’m at anyways.
You can make safe edible cookie dough pretty easily . The eggs aren’t the only issue, it’s the flour itself. If you bake it at like 275F for 30 mins in a sheet pan it’ll sterilize it. For edible cookie dough that won’t be baked you don’t even need eggs.
Having said that, I too have eaten my share of regular cookie dough.
Had no idea raw flour wasn’t safe. The store bought safe cookie dough always tastes like cardboard to me
If you bake dry flour , remember to NOT use convection.
Because of the fan?
Flour is flammable and light. If the fan makes a bunch of it fly around in your oven the heating element could ignite it. Search YouTube for “flour fire”.
Probably not super dangerous at if you’re just baking a sheet pan of flour, but good to be safe.