With the holiday season in full swing, cookies are a popular dessert to bring to functions with friends and family and experiment with new recipes. Snickerdoodles are a timeless classic, like a good batch of chocolate chip or peanut butter cookies. They are soft, rich, and tangy cookies, with a special ingredient that creates a minute zesty flavor.
This was my first time making snickerdoodles, as I’ve always enjoyed the flavor but never attempted to create them from scratch. Baking from scratch can initially seem tedious and extra effort, but the experience and taste are indefinitely better than any box mix or pre-made dough. If you have all the necessary ingredients, you just need a solid recipe and some music, and you can get started in the kitchen. I have made so many mistakes in baking cookies in the past, which I’ll get to in my tips, but the fun is in constantly trying new methods and recipes until you get the results you like.
Instead of baking powder which is typically used in cookies, I used cream of tartar and baking soda for snickerdoodles. Sure, you could use 2 teaspoons of baking powder instead of the cream of tartar and baking soda, but then you won’t really have a Snickerdoodle. Cream of tartar adds a unique tangy flavor to the cookie, which sets it apart from sugar cookies and makes it a classic Snickerdoodle. When I say tangy, I don’t mean a distinct, pungent taste, its a hint of this tanginess, that mellows the sweetness a bit and makes the cookie absolutely delicious. Here’s the recipe I used, and some tips to make them soft and delectable. The serving size is about 30 cookies (I was making them for a big group of people).
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 2 sticks of butter (unsalted)
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350
- Mix your softened butter with the brown sugar until completely combined.
- Tip 1: Do NOT melt the butter, I learned this the hard way. Melting it will cause the cookies to be more chewier and cook improperly. Let the butter sit out hours in advance to soften.
- Tip 2: Stir these 2 ingredients immediately. If the sugar is incorporated quickly, it will rise to the surface during the baking process, allowing the top to have a crumbly, harder texture while the inside is soft and delicious. If you want a fully soft cookie, you don’t have to be as specific with this step.
- Add in your eggs and vanilla extract.
- Fold in your flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. I like to sift these dry ingredients so they are incorporated without chunks. It should be pretty thick and hard to mix, but this is right.
- Create the cinnamon sugar mix: Simple as it sounds. Mix as much ever desired cinnamon and white sugar as you desire in a bowl.
- Roll out balls of dough and coat them in the cinnamon sugar. You can roll them in the mix or use a spoon, but make sure it is coated entirely. It may look like the flavor could be overpowering, but once baked, they are perfect.
- Put them in the oven for 10 minutes. When they are done, use a toothpick or fork to check the center. It should come out clean or with a few crumbs, which means it is good to take out. If there is still dough stuck to it, bake them for a minute or two.
- Let them cool, they should appear very soft, almost like they are crumbly or will fall apart if picked up. But after 15-20 minutes they are good to serve and chill in the fridge if needed. Enjoy!
