I have had my ups and downs with high altitude baking since moving to Colorado from California about a year and a half ago. One area, however, that I have continued to struggle with is cookies. Mind you, this is even after reading the cook book Pie in the Sky by Susan G. Purdy from cover to cover (which is considered by many to be the bible of high altitude baking), taking notes on my recipes, adjusting temperatures...anything I could think of. Totally. Did. Not. Work.

There are people here in Colorado who simply say, "Just give up and let it go - you'll never make cookies like you did at sea level here." This makes me really, really sad. I love cookies. I love to bake them, to eat them, to share them. I love to just have them around (though my waist-line does not appreciate this). Cookies are so much a part of me that we baked cookies for our favors at our wedding and passed them out at the end of the night with cold milk.

So, I decided once and for all that I would conquer high altitude cookies. Of course, I naturally decided to make chocolate chip cookies for this endeavor, as I have made them a million times before. And what better place to look for advice on such a topic than the blogo-sphere. I found this great blog post about high altitude cookies. I followed the instructions to a "t", even weighing my ingredients so I could make the most minute changes in the future if needed. One change I made was refrigerating my dough for about a day and a half. I had read in the past that this actually helps with flavor, so I had tried this technique before (at sea level) and found that the dough baked up better. I think it helped with my high altitude-ness as well as flavor.

And (drum roll please....) they were awesome! These cookies had a very delicately crunchy exterior with a super soft inside. I added more chocolate chips than the recipe called for. I love me some chocolate. Obviously, adjust the chocolate to your liking as well. Next time I think I will try upping the temperature from 350 to 375 and see what that does. In the mean time, I have been spontaneously bursting into my "I'm-an-awesome-baker-happy-dance." If you try this recipe (my high altitude brethren), get your happy-dance moves ready cause you're gonna finally have conquered the chocolate chip cookie.

A few tips for high altitude baking:

• Use fresh ingredients
• Little things - like room temp. butter and eggs - are more important for us high altitude folks. We already have the cards stacked against us so take the time to do the little things correctly
• Try refrigerating your dough (for cookies)
• Weigh instead of measure your ingredients - this method is more precise
• Have some milk on hand if you need a splash to loosen dry, tough dough

HIGH ALTITUDE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES RECIPE
(Gourmet Mom on the Go)

2 sticks butter (at room temp. or slightly softened)
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tbl. vanilla
2 eggs (at room temp.)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
2 3/4 c. flour
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

In a stand mixer, whip butter until creamy, then add both sugars and beat until well blended. Add salt, vanilla & eggs (one at at time, letting each incorporate) with stand mixer on low to medium-low speed. Sift flour and soda (this step is important as it ensures that the flour and soda will be completely incorporated - important for high altitude baking) then add to the butter a little bit at a time, letting the flour incorporate each time before adding more. Add chocolate chips and stir well with a wooden spoon. (This is where I refrigerated for 1 and and half days, just cover with plastic wrap) Bake 8-11 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degree oven. (Note: I baked mine for 13 minutes, much longer than the recipe suggested. Just watch the first batch closely and you'll figure out what works for your oven) until edges are barely brown.