Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles have to be one of the most underrated cookies out there.  Once you start eating them, though, you realize how lovable these plain Janes of the cookie world really are.  I like my snickerdoodles to be completely baked; none of that gooey half-baked business that's fine for some chocolate chip cookies.  No, I like my snickerdoodles to be somewhat puffed and chewy, while remaining distinctively crisp around the edges.  

This recipe is my favorite so far, and I've tried many.  I found it on the King Arthur Flour Website, but their recipe calls for cinnamon chips, which I think would change this simple beauty too much for me.  If you want to see their recipe, click here: KAF Superdoodle Recipe.

Snickerdoodles

     --Adapted from www.kingarthurflour.com

Ingredients

• ½ cup vegetable shortening

• ½ cup softened butter
• 1 ½ cups white sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
extract
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½  teaspoon salt

• 2 ¾ cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

• ½ cup sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Beat together the shortening, butter, and sugar till smooth, then add the eggs, again beating till smooth. Beat in the vanilla, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt, then add the flour, mixing slowly till combined. (Don’t overbeat.  And for the record, be sure to NEVER overbeat cookie dough.) Cover and refrigerate at least two hours.*

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Once dough is chilled, roll tablespoon-sized balls in the cinnamon-sugar mixture in a shallow pan or bowl. You can coat 3-5 balls at a time.  Gently shake the pan/bowl to coat the dough balls with sugar. Place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, leaving about 1 ½" between them.

Bake the cookies at 400°F for 10 to 11 minutes, or until puffed and browned around the edges. Remove the cookies from the oven, cool on the pan for about 3-5 minutes, and then cool them on a rack.

*At this point I also like to form the balls and place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet.  I freeze them on the pan, and once frozen, I transfer the frozen dough balls to a zip-top bag.  I roll the frozen dough balls in cinnamon sugar before baking the same way I bake them after being chilled.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies (I think)