Adjusting cookie recipes for high altitude
When baking cakes, I often find that there are instructions for high altitude, which usually is just a matter of adding some extra flour.
I understand the concept of high altitudes having less atmospheric pressure, which then allows baked goods to rise more easily (too much), and thus the addition of flour.
However such alterations are not often provided with cookie recipes. What is a good way to know how to adjust cookies for high altitude, or if such an adjustment is even necessary?
Best Answer
There is a fairly detailed answer to this available here.
It appears that the answer depends a little on the type of cookie. If you have a cookie that has a great deal of air in it you'll have the same problem as cakes do. If you are working with a very dense cookie that can't really fall (since there isn't anywhere to go). At that point you're just down to watching baking times and temperatures, which are easier to monitor.
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How do you adjust cookies for high altitude baking?
Changes at high altitudeDecrease by 5-8 minutes per 30 minutes of baking time. Baking at higher temperatures means products are done sooner. Increase by 1 to 2 tablespoons at 3,000 feet. Increase by 1 1/2 teaspoons for each additional 1,000 feet.Should cookies be adjusted for high altitude?
If you are baking cookies at high altitude, plan to adjust your recipe, in order to retain moisture and consistency. At high altitude the air changes considerably; it becomes drier and holds less oxygen.How do you change recipes for high altitude?
High-Altitude Baking ChartWhat temperature do you bake cookies at high altitude?
Oven Temperature Leavening and evaporation are quicker when baking cookies at a high altitude. A higher oven temperature helps cookies to set before they expand or get too dry. Increase oven temperature by 15\xba to 25\xba degrees \u2013 less if the dough contains chocolate, which has extra fat.More answers regarding adjusting cookie recipes for high altitude
Answer 2
I would look at recipes which do give a high-altitude version, such as the Toll House recipe on the chocolate chips bag, and make proportional reductions / changes to the recipe you have that doesn't give a high-altitude version.
e.g. if Toll House increases flour from 2 1/4 c to 2 1/2 cups, I would multiply the flour in your recipe by 1.111 (10/9)
Answer 3
I cook at a summer camp at 9200 ft. above sea level. I add 1/4 cup flour to a batch of 36 chocolate chip or peanut butter cookies. They rise and look beautiful, but are hard after one day, so need to be served the day I bake them. I usually make my cookies from scratch. I have figured this out through trial and error; the higher the altitude, the more the adjustment. If I do use a box mix, and follow the directions on a box, the cookies are flat. I think this is because they are basing high altitude at above 5000 feet, but we are a lot higher! Good Luck!
Answer 4
For one, water boils at a slightly lower temperature at a higher altitude, which means that you need to cook things longer, because once water reaches boiling, the temperature doesn't increase, so the effective cooking temperature of water is lower. Similar changes need to be made if you are trying to fry foods.
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