Fats and Heat
Most fats do not have sharply defined melting
points. Instead, they soften gradually over a
broad temperature range. As the temperature
rises, the different kinds of fat molecules melt
at different points and slowly weaken the
whole structure. (An interesting exception to
this rule is cocoa butter, p. 705). This
behavior is especially important in making
pastries and cakes, and it’s what makes butter
spreadable at room temperature. butter, p.
705). This behavior is especially important in
making pastries and cakes, and it’s what
makes butter spreadable at room temperature.
Melted fats do eventually change from a
liquid to a gas: but only at very high
temperatures, from 500º to 750ºF/260– 400ºC.
This high boiling point, far above water’s, is
the indirect result of the fats’ large molecular
size. While they can’t form hydrogen bonds,
the carbon chains of fats do form weaker
bonds with each other(p. 814). Because fat