24 April 2014

Snickerdoodles - Not Just Cinnamon Sugar Cookies

Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles have been around for more than a hundred years (at least 40 years more than the Snickers candy bar that has nothing at all to do with snickerdoodles!) and are a favorite among us classic comfort food types.

You'll find a lot of recipes that call for baking powder rather than cream of tartar. Ignore them. Cream of tartar is not just a leavening agent, it is what gives snickerdoodles their characteristic tang.

There are also a lot of snickerdoodle recipes that call for half butter and half shortening. Ignore those, too. There is nothing to be gained by using the shortening, so why dilute the wondrous flavor of butter? Baked until just the edges start to brown, the cookies are crisp on the outside and soft, kind of cakey, inside.

Need I tell you, these cookies are fabulous with a nice cuppa tea!



Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles

(Makes 32 3-inch cookies)

The Dough

2 3/4 dip-and-sweep cups (13.75 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature (2 1/2 hours)
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla



The Coating

3 tablespoons sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon

1 In medium bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt.

Note: I've given the directions for using a stand mixer, but I've made these many time
s with a hand mixer or just a spoon before I got my Cuisinart stand mixer

2 In stand mixer fitted with flat beater, beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture and beat on low speed just until dough comes together. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until dough is easy to handle.

3 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Shape #40 scoops (0.8 ounces or approximately 1.5 tablespoons) of dough into 1 1/4-inch balls; roll in sugar mixture. Place 3 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Using a flat-bottomed glass (or a stainless steel measuring cup), slightly flatten the dough balls. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.



Snickerdoodles

Note: I use a gigantic baking sheet, called a 3/4 sheet pan, sometimes called a 2/3 sheet pan. It is the maximum size pan that will fit in my oven (in a 30-inch gas range). With it I can bake 24 cookies this size (4 rows of 6) or 35 smaller cookies (5 rows of 7) all in one batch. Since this recipe makes 32 cookies, I froze 8 cookies to be baked another day.

4 Cool on baking sheet for 1 minute, and then remove to wire racks to cool completely. May be stored in airtight container for a week.



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33 comments:

Angie's Recipes said...

I prefer butter to tasteless shortening. These snickerdoodles look great! Thanks for the tips too, Jean.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Angie! I don't know how shortening stays on the market.

ZipZip said...

Mmm, my favorite cookie ever. Still use my grandmother's recipe: with cream of tartar. Glad to see you highlighting these!

By the way, if you're short on sugar, you can mix in some brown sugar. It results in a different cookie, but a tasty one.

Very best,

Natalie

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Natalie, thank you! The brown sugar version *does* sound good, different but good!

Richard Sheppard said...

I LOVE Snickerdoodles but I've never made them before. As soon as I get UNbusy, I'm going to dive into a batch of these.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Oh good! Do let me know how they turn out for you, Richard!

Anne|Craving Something Healthy said...

I've never made snickerdoodles for some reason, and I love them! Good advice about the shortening - it should only be used to grease the grill :)

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Yes, Anne! Greasing the grill is exactly the only thing I'd ever use it for! :D

Christine said...

The hands-down favorite cookie in our house! All of my kids help make them. It is actually one of the few recipes I have on my blog, and it is almost exactly like yours. Butter and cream of tartar all the way!

Thomas "Sully" Sullivan said...

Admit it, you expect me to jump all over this one, don’tcha? Cookies…cookie monster Sully – it’s a fit. Well…no, actually. It’s not a fit. I hang my head in shame, but truth be told, I’ve never had a snickerdoodle. Oh, sure, someone might have snuck a few crumbs of one into a pile of asparagus and cauliflower I was scarfing down at Cub Scout camp (you know how I love my veggies!). But I’ve never knowingly eaten a snickerdoodle. “Crunchy on the outside, cakey on the inside”…hmmmm. Nope. Can’t empathize. Might be okay. But it looks too much like a biscuit to me to produce a Pavlov’s-dog response. Dry. Too UNsweet, and the tang might be mediciney. But I promise, next time I go to Cub Scout camp, I’ll push the asparagus aside and nibble a snickerdoodle.

Jo@awholeplotoflove said...

They look & sound delicious, I must give them a go one day.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Christine, wow! The "hands-down favorite" -- in such a large family? Would've thought a cookie with chocolate (though I don't care much for chocolate myself) would be the one! Cool!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

No, Sully, not dry, not mediciney! But, only in your case, I would suggest you throw in a handful of chocolate chips and maybe slather on a sugary and/or chocolatey glaze.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Joanne. I hope you will give them a go soon!

Unknown said...

Yum! Love those snickerdoodles!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Kelly!

Sippity Sup said...

Of course these cookies are delicious but it's the name that is so delightful. GREG

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Greg, it is a delightful name, isn't it? Almost as much so as "Fat Rascals!" (I posted those quite some time ago - a Yorkshire thing.)

Melissa AuClair said...

Oh, I've been a half butter/half shortening person! I'm about to change my ways on your recommendation. It makes me want to go home and bake a batch right now :)

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Oh, Melissa, thank you so much! And do let me know how they turn out for you!

LANA said...

A classic favorite. I can't believe how many people still don't know what they are.

TONY said...

I've never heard of these, Jean. I can't say we have them over here.
I had to look them up.
This is what I came up with. The word "Snickerdoodles," could be a nonsense name or something derived from a German recipe.
Anyway, the entymology of Snickerdoodles is as follows.

Etymology[edit]
The Joy of Cooking claims that snickerdoodles are probably German in origin, and that the name is a corruption of the German word Schneckennudeln ("snail noodles"), a kind of pastry.[1] It is also possible that the name is simply a nonsense word with no particular meaning, originating from a New England tradition of whimsical cookie names.[2][3]

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Lana, I knoooow! Everybody should know about snickerdoodles!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Tony, there's no reason you'd have ever heard of them, don't think you have them there. Thanks for the info. I agree with the second possibility for the name, "simply a nonsense word," rather than the first. I don't think the cookie has anything at all to do with any German pastry.

Ruth Schiffmann said...

I used to make these quite often. It's been too long, now. Although, I'd better wait for an occasion or I'll eat way too many of them myself.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Ruth, I know what you mean! But you can whip up a batch today and freeze the dough balls and just bake up a few at a time.

Rosita Vargas said...

Lindas y crujientes galletas me encanta,abrazos

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Gracias, Rosita! Que es una de mis galletas favoritas.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

This is my husband's favorite cookie and I use the recipe from my mother in law and it is very similar. They really are wonderful and make the whole house smell like cinnamon. Thanks for sharing! Hugs!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Lavender Dreamer! Yes, I love smelling them baking. (Should bake a batch right now - I just cooked fish!)

Liz That Skinny Chick Can Bake said...

These are one of my youngest's favorite cookies! Your recipe looks quite similar to mine...I should probably bake him a batch for finals week :) Hope you're having a terrific weekend!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Liz! I'm always surprised when kids have a non-chocolate favorite!

NanaDiana said...

Thanks for the lovely comment on my blog today. I can't email you back because your settings show you as a No Reply. Just wanted you to know i appreciate your comment about my old house/porch! xoDiana