One of the hardest things about living in the mountain west when I moved here was finding good baking recipes. I found that my cookies and cakes never came out right…they were either flat pancakes on the cookie sheet or they turned out hard as rocks. But over the years I *think* I have tried and found some recipes that work super well for higher altitudes.
Although there is one that I am still lacking….a moist and dense chocolate cake recipe made from scratch. That one is still a mystery to me. (If you have one will you leave it in the comments, pretty please?!)
Here is my favorite High Altitude Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. Know that this is a double batch, because I am either baking cookies for an event…or I tend to freeze half of it in single servings to bake later. (So, if you don’t need a good 50-60 cookies…just half the recipe 😉
HIGH ALTITUDE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE
1 cup of unsalted butter
1 cup of vegetable shortening
1 cup of white sugar
2 cups of packed brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla
5 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 full bag of chocolate chips
In a large bowl, mix butter, shortening and eggs until blended. Add eggs, vanilla and beat the flour in slowly until it is all incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and mix until incorporated. Drop cookies with cookie scoop onto cookie sheets lined with parchment (don’t forget the parchment–it does make a difference!) Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes and take them out of the oven. Let sit on the cookie sheet for 1-2 more minutes and then move to cooling rack. Allow time to cool fully.
And then enjoy…one or two or 10….they really are that delicious! And the dough still bakes up perfectly out of the freezer too…
Happy baking!
~Elizabeth
