GOOD EXPERIMENT! I noticed one other possible reason for dark cookies. Half way into baking time, I switch the position of the 2 pans to keep them baking evenly. Instead of aligning the pans one directly over the other, I was staggering them for what I thought was better ventilation in between the pans. This brought the one side of each pan closer to the oven wall; those cookies closest to the wall were way overdone. Now I don't stagger the pans, but place them evenly one above the other. Thanks for sharing all your hard work. Excellent point, Chris - the position of the pans relative to one another definitely influences browning. Sometimes, when the bake time is short, I actually just bake one pan at a time, in the middle of the oven, so I don't have to think about shifting the pans around midway through. Thanks for your good feedback! PJH

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