Snickerdoodles
I’m publishing this on a thursday, because, quite honestly, it’s a bit of a throwback post.
With Christmas just past, I made a ton of cookies, and then wrapped them up in decorative bags and gave them to friends as presents.
In general, I have two different kinds of cookies I like to put in there. Traditional ones, like favourite cookies–brownies, chocolate chip, peanut butter, etc and then more exotic ones that reflect the season. These could be ones that incorporate Christmas elements or flavours.
Beyond a doubt, the most popular cookie I made this year was a recipe that is very old, very traditional, and really easy to make.
Ladies and gentlemen, behold the lowly Snickerdoodle. A simple sugar cookie recipe–with a twist. These sugar cookies are rolled into balls, and then rolled in a cinnamon-sugar mixture. After they’re baked, they achieve the most perfect texture: crispy on the outside, but still super soft on the inside. Simply put, there’s a reason why these cookies are an absolute classic that you’ll want to make and enjoy year-round.
There are probably hundreds of recipes and variations out there for the snickerdoodle, but my fave comes from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, which is one of the first cookbooks I ever owned, and has been the one that I go back to for basic recipes time and again.
You can whip up a batch in about five minutes!
Snickerdoodles
(recipe from Better Homes and Gardens circa 1989)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter (softened to room temp)
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
Method:
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.
- Add the dry ingredients, and mix until incorporated.
- Chill the dough in the fridge for about an hour.
- Scoop and roll the dough into balls. In a large, shallow dish, mix together 1/4 cup of sugar with 2 tsps of ground cinnamon. Roll the balls in this mixture until they are coated. Place on a baking sheet and flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden. Cool on a wire rack.
Variation: place the coated cookie dough balls on the cookie sheet, and then make an impression in the centre of each one with your thumb. Fill the hole with a little jam, then bake.