High Altitude Baking

A friend asked me about baking at high altitudes and I thought it might be worth sharing some tips here as well.

1. Cut the leavening

Are your cakes falling?

Are your cookies spreading too far?

Are your breakfast breads overdone on the outside and raw in the middle?

High altitude baking will almost always be improved by cutting the leavening in baked goods. Three quarters of the original amount may be plenty of baking powder or soda if you are at 3,000 to 4,000 feet of elevation. If you are baking even higher than that, you can almost always automatically half the leavening called for in a recipe. Sometimes, you may even have to quarter the called-for amount to achieve ideal results.

2. Add flour

Can’t cut the leavening?

Sometimes, cutting the leavening is not an option. When you are using mixes that have pre-measured dry ingredients, your best bet is to add a little bit of flour. Add 2 to 4 tablespoons of flour to a pre-measured mix, depending on your elevation. The additional flour will disperse the leavening in order to create a more uniform product at high altitudes.

3. Add liquid

Are your cakes crumbly and dry?

Whether or not you are adding flour to your recipes, some baked goods can tend to be over-dry at high altitude due to drier climates. The simple solution is to add more liquid. An additional egg or a quarter cup of additional liquid will work wonders in a dry cake or quick bread.

4. Cut rising time

Is your bread yeasty?

Are your cinnamon rolls too crusty and light?

Yeasted products can also suffer the ill effects of altitude. Because of the significantly reduced pressure above 3,000 feet, yeasted breads expand and rise much more quickly than at sea level. At very high altitudes, above 6,000 feet, breads may actually rise in half the prescribed time. To combat low quality breads at high altitude, monitor your dough carefully. Do not allow it to rise past double its original size. If you find that your bread’s flavor does not develop sufficiently in the reduced amount of time, you may punch it down and let it rise twice before shaping it. It is possible to have wonderful yeasted breads at high altitude!

I found these great tips online.  Epicurious also had some great thoughts on the subject.

Apple Cake

This is for all of you who have asked and asked for this recipe.  It is a crowd pleaser, especially warm out of the oven.  It also makes your house smell AMAZING!

1 1/3 c. oil

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

3 cups flour

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3-4 granny smith/gala apples (I prefer granny smith)

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix the oil, sugar and eggs until a light yellow.  Sift together in a separate bowl flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda, then mix into the yellow mixture.  Mix until just combined.  Peel, core and cut apples into roughly 1 inch pieces.  Add in apples, nuts and vanilla, mix.  Scoop batter into greased bundt pan (you can use other pans, bread, muffin, etc. - I prefer the bundt for this.)  Bake at 350 degrees for 70-75 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in pan for at least 10 minutes and turn out onto a serving dish.  This is great plain, with ice cream, carmel sauce, whipping cream, etc.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

1 pound (16 oz) rotini or cavatappi pasta
2 cups whole milk
8 oz cream cheese
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups (about 6-7 oz) grated smoked gouda

While the pasta is cooking. Combine the milk, cream cheese, butter, salt and pepper in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally until, melted and well combined. In a large bowl or pan, mix the drained pasta, milk mixture and the cheese and stir. Transfer to a 3 quart baking dish and bake until the macaroni is set and the top is golden brown. About 25 minutes.

Mine is not so "golden brown" because the kids just couldn't wait.

Simple, but yummy!

Super Easy Home-made OREOs

2 boxes Devil's Food cake mix

4 eggs

1 1/2 cup butter crisco

In a large bowl mix all the ingredients together, either use a Kitchen-Aid or a tough spoon and mix it by hand (it is really thick, it is not hand mixer friendly). Once mixed roll dough into small balls, just bigger than a bouncy ball, you can make them smaller if you'd like - it's really up to you. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Once the cookies are cool add cream cheese frosting to the underside of one cookie and sandwich together. Cream cheese frosting can be bought or home-made.

For Valentine's Day I added some colored sugar to the edges of some, dyed some frosting red and cut hearts out of others. Let your creativity have some fun.

PW's Apple Dumplings

This is a slighly modified version of Pioneer Woman's Apple Dumplings, you can find the original recipe here.

The first time I made them, I felt they were a little too sweet for my taste, so I tweaked it ever so slightly.

2-3 Granny Smith Apples
2 cans (8 Oz. Cans) Crescent Rolls
1 1/4 sticks Butter
1 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Cinnamon, To Taste
1 can (12 Oz.) Mountain Dew Soda (I use about 3/4 of the can)

Peel and core apples. Cut each apple into 5-6 slices each (PW say's 8, I like bigger pieces of apple). Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan.

Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour entire mixture over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

All-in-One Cake

All-In-One Cake

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon ginger

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/2 (packed) brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree

1 large (2 small) apple, peeled, cored and chopped

1 cup fresh cranberries

1 cup pecans, chopped

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt.

In a stand mixer, cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beat for 1 minute. Add pumpkin and apples (the mixture will look curdled). Add in dry ingredients, mixing only until incorporated. Stir in (by hand) pecans and cranberries.

Pour batter into a greased bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes.

This cake does not cut smoothly due to all of the "chunky" ingredients.

Optional:

Maple Sugar Icing

6 tablespoons powdered sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

add more syrup to make right consistency

Lemon Souffle

*From Martha Stewart.com

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more, room temperature, for dishes

1/2 c. sugar, plus more for dishes

8 large eggs yolks, plus 10 large egg whites, room temperature

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 c. plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus 2 tablespoons lemon zest

1 c. whole milk

Powdered Sugar (Garnish)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter six 12-ounce souffle dishes (I used eight 8-ounce dishes), with the room temperature butter, use a pastry brush and brush up the sides of the dish and then dump in a little sugar and coat the butter, dump out remaining sugar.

2. Whisk together yolks, flour, zest and 2 tablespoons sugar.

3. Bring milk to a boil in a small sauce pan. Slowly pour milk into yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the yolks from cooking. Return mixture to saucepan and whisk until thick (like a pudding). Strain through a sieve, and whisk in butter and lemon juice. Set aside.

4. Beat whites until foamy and gradually add in 1/4 c. plus 2 tablespoons sugar, beat until stiff peaks form. Stir a third of the whites into the yolk mixture. Gently fold in the remaining whites using a rubber spatula.

5. Fill each souffle dish to the top, and smooth. Run your thumb around the edge to remove batter from rims.

6. Bake on a rimmed cookie sheet until souffles rise and are golden, about 16-17 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately, before souffles lose their height.

Warm Honey Sauce (optional, but good)

Heat 1/4 c. honey with a pinch of nutmeg over low heat until warm and loosened. Whisk in 2 tablespoons heavy cream and bring to a boil. Make a small hole in each souffle (after they are cooked) and pour in sauce.

This had a very light lemon flavor, I am going to up the amount of lemon zest and juice next time I make them, as well as add some lemon zest to the honey sauce. Don't let the eggs intimidate you - this was my first souffle EVER and it work.