I have officially mastered baking at 7,200 ft. and I'm feelin' pretty good about it. For Christmas I got "Pie in the Sky," by Susan G. Purdy. There is an "adjustment table" in the back of the book that lists adjustments for different altitudes and when followed, yields lovely baked goods void of the frustrating hallmarks of high altitude baking. The funny thing is, when I tried an actual recipe from the book I got the flattest cookies I have ever made - no seriously, flattest EVER. Which resulted in a lot of swearing and stopping around the kitchen.

Anyway - I used to make these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies in California and initially did not have success with them in Colorado. But, I tried again last week and voila - lovely, poofy, moist cookies. I win, high altitude! Take that!

These are seriously awesome too, soft on the inside with a chewy outside. Do try them immediately.

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES RECIPE
(from smittenkitchen, originally adapted from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook)

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour (+ 8tbl. for high altitude)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda (- 1/4 tsp. for high altitude)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder (- 1/8 tsp. for high altitude)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature
1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar (- 3 tbl. for high altitude)
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk (+ 1 tbl. for high altitude)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter chips (I did not have these on hand so I used peanuts and thought the result was wonderful - the peanuts add a nice crunch)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
For sprinkling: 1 tablespoon sugar, regular or superfine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter and chocolate chips.

Place sprinkling sugar — the remaining tablespoon — on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crisss-cross pattern (I used the back of a small offset spatula to keep it smooth on top), but do not overly flatten cookies.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not. (I baked for 9 minutes - I like mine cookies slightly undercooked and let them finish on the hot baking tray - this keeps them from drying out or getting hard)

Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.