NYT Cookies at high altitude?
I used this recipe a few months ago to make cookies as parting gifts at a job I was leaving. I was very pleased with the results, and am planning to bake them as Christmas gifts for my family. But it just occurred to me I'll be baking in my parent's kitchen in Denver instead of my kitchen, here at sea level. So, any advice on how to adapt the recipe to high altitude?
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4 Comments:
Without knowing the exact recipe, the general rules are that you cut back a bit on sugar, cut back on leavening by 20-25%, add more moisture, add more flour, and bake at a slightly higher temp for a slightly shorter amount of time.
If a cookie or cake recipe calls for eggs, the easiest thing for me to do is use extra-large instead of large eggs to fix the moisture problem.
As far as cutting back on sugar, what I usually do (if the recipe doesn't have exact instructions) is just measure a little bit short, so instead of the cup being full to the top, it's a little shy. If I'm using brown sugar, I don't pack it quite as tight as I should.
A recent cookie I made that had an altitude adjustment increased flour from 2 1.4 cups to 2 1/2; decreased sugar from 3/4 to 2/3 cup each for brown and white sugar, and added some water (just went with the extra-large eggs, since that's what I buy now). Don't recall what the leavening change was, but I think it was from 2 teaspoons to 1 1/2.
If you raise the oven temp 15-25 degrees, you should be okay, and then just check the cookies early. After the first batch, you should have an idea how it's going.
Good luck. Oh, and plan on taking naps. Until you get used to the thin air, some people find that they need an afternoon nap to make it through the rest of the day.
dbcurrie at 10:03PM on 12/09/08
Bisbee in Denver says- listen to dbcurrie- and then start praying because I've been here 5 years and still can't get baking right. : )
Best of luck to you!!!
More high altitude advice- drink LOTS of water especially your first few months here.
have either of you seen this book? I haven't tried it yet but thought I'd mention it.
http://www.highaltitudebaking.com/
bisbee at 7:06PM on 12/10/08
@Bisbee -- going on 12 years, about thirtyish miles from you, and I'm a lot less crazy than when I first moved here and I felt like someone stole all my cooking skills.
dbcurrie at 2:03AM on 12/11/08
ahh yes where did my cooking skills go...? sea level ! Yes, believe I left them at sea level.
bisbee at 12:31PM on 12/11/08