Calif to Tennessee baking differences

Hi, Rosalie! I've had cookie recipes change on me like this depending on where I lived. One thing I always try with cookies that keep coming out flat is refrigerating the dough for at least 30 minutes to an hour right before baking. If that isn't already a step in your recipe, I’d give it a try!

Rosalie -
Hello and I sympathize with your problem.
A wild guess - could your baking problems come from higher average humidity in Tennessee than in California (a state with a least one famous desert and a history of droughts)?
More humidity can make cookies spread and bread dough rise faster.
I would check with county extension services and/or caterers and bakeries for their local knowledge.
And, if this hunch is right, ask their advice.
Also check baking sites for advice on altering recipes to accommodate humidity… like reducing liquid in cookie recipes.
Hope this helps,
Nancy

Hi Rosalie!

What a strange predicament. If in fact you are at a higher elevation I'd try increasing the bake temperature by 25% while reducing the bake time by 4 to 7 minutes.

Rising and evaporation happen more quickly at higher elevation, so by increasing the temperature, you're going to set the structure of the cookies earlier so they don't dry out.

Hope this helps!

- Justin from the Hotline team