Christmas Baking: Snickerdoodles

Slightly crispy, slightly sweet, but full on deliciousness, Snickerdoodles are a cookie jar favorite that you’ll find yourself making again and again.

It took me well over thirty years for me to discover Snickerdoodles (or as one of the little boys from carpool very cutely calls them “snickledoodles”).  There’s this little bookstore about 45 minutes away that has wonderful book events.  We haven’t been there in awhile, but when my mom and I head out there, we always save a little time to stop at a local bakery in town first.  Their cookies are crazy expensive, but we always leave with a little bundle to feast on on our way home.  So there was where I first discovered … and fell in love with … Snickerdoodles.  And, surprisingly, as much as I love them, I’ve never made them.  Until now.

I used the below recipe, which was originally from an issue of Martha Stewart’s Holiday Cookies, but which Patsy from Family, Friends and Food took to another level by adding cinnamon chips.  Cinnamon chips are a rare find in this part of the country.  In fact, so far I have yet to see them in New Jersey, though I recently heard they might be available at Kings grocery store, so I will have to check it out.  Over the summer, we made a weekend trip to Hershey Park and while shopping in their store, I stocked up on cinnamon chips in a big way.

These Snickerdoodles are everything they should be.  Light, airy, with a slight crisp to them.  They’re easy to make and an old classic that you can’t go wrong with.  And if you’re doing any holiday cookie baking and mailing the goodies, these will ship fairly well.

Speaking of holiday baking, I think we are officially done for the season.  Tonight we made Mocha Truffle Cookies, George W. Bush’s Cowboy Cookies (oh the jokes I could do about those!), Cinnamon-Nut Spice Cookies (so far, my all time favorite cookie ever), Seven Layer Bars, Five Minute Fudge and Mexican Wedding Cookies.  (More posts will come about the cookies individually in the next week or two).

Yesterday as Nicholas and I shopped for containers to present the cookies in, I started counting out how many I’d need.  He added two because he decided we should give some to his teachers from last year as well.  I can’t argue with that – they were (and still are) great teachers.  So 8 packages assembled, and two trays, all ready to go.  And now that just leaves me 16 gifts for his classmates to wrap and I am done … for tonight anyway.

A year ago today … wonderful spread for crackers, and perfect for holiday entertaining.
Two years ago today … what makes a perfect cheese plate?
Three years ago today … randomness.

Snickerdoodles
Part Martha Stewart, Part Patsy

2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, sift together the flour (I didn’t sift), salt and baking powder and set aside. Add butter and 1-1/2 cups sugar to bowl of a stand mixer. Mix at medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture.

Stir together the last 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Shape dough into small balls. Then, roll the balls in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart as cookies will spread.  Bake until the cookies are set in the center and start to crack (they will not brown), about 10 minutes.

Yield: approximately 4 dozen