Snickerdoodles
My oldest stepchild’s favorite cookie (and definitely in my top ten) - we can’t get enough of that chewy, cinnamon, buttery yumminess (is that an official cooking term? Because it should be).
I make these every year for Yule, and sometimes for random Tuesdays, because I can’t think of a situation that they’re not an appropriate go-to. Plus, this time of year, they’re a really nice switch from the chocolatey, cloyingly sweet treats that are hanging around. I mean…after I’ve shoved a pile of caramels and toffee into my mouth, I need to break up the sweet with something spicy, right? (I swear I’m not eating cookies right now) Really though, I’m just happy to have an excuse to make a ton of them that’s different from “because I need to eat cookies every day.” #truestory
There are a million ways to make these, too. You can use a simple sugar cookie recipe, and then just roll them in cinnamon/sugar before baking. You could also make something a bit more decadent - sometimes I make these ultra chewy brown sugar cookies that I lace with cinnamon and cinnamon extract, and then roll them in cinnamon/sugar before baking them (they’re like the ultimate snickerdoodle, really). For today, I really just wanted something classic.
Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the topping:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper (or silicone baking mats if you’re fancy).
In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cream of tartar, and salt, and whisk together. Set aside for later.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and sugar, and whip for 2-3 minutes until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and continue to beat for another minute.
Slowly add the dry ingredients in 3-4 separate batches. When it is just combined, turn off the mixer, and scrape the sides to make sure everything is mixed together. The dough for these is really thick and sort of crumbly.
In a small dish or bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping and toss together with a fork until they’re mixed.
Either using a small ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon, scoop 1-2 tablespoon-sized balls of dough into your hand, and role in the cinnamon sugar. Place them on the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart, and bake for 8-9 minutes.
When the timer goes off, pull the cookies out and gently press down on them in the middle with a fork (this is what keeps them chewy). Put them back into the oven for another 2 minutes, and then let them cool completely on a wire rack.
To finish, open a good bottle of Oregon pinot and put your feet up. This recipe makes about 3 dozen.
PS - can we go back in time and hang out with the 19th century New Englander who came up with the name snickerdoodle? And can we drink what they were drinking? Because wow...
