Mariam Kazmi
The snickerdoodle cookie: a soft, crunchy, cinnamony treat filled with joy. Perfect for the holiday season, but I love to make them year-round. This recipe is quick and easy, requiring no chilling time prior to baking.
I’ve gotten asked time and time again the secret to the flawlessly round shape of the cookies. My hint: use measuring spoons and divvy up exactly 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO GUESS. If your measuring is accurate, you should end up with 24 perfectly circular cookies. Make sure to roll the dough balls into spheres rather than cones and press down on them lightly once they are on the baking tray to ensure they spread out.
The most important part of this recipe is allowing the cookies to cool once they are fresh out of the oven. I have continuously made the rookie mistake of attempting to peel off the cookies from the baking tray after thirty seconds of them being removed from heat. You must wait at least 5 minutes before SLOWLY transferring the cookies to a plate or wire rack, where they should cool for a few more minutes before serving.
Ingredients:
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3 cups all-purpose flour (bread flour also works but the cookies will be a little tough)
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2 teaspoons cream of tartar
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1 teaspoon baking soda
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1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
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½ teaspoon salt
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1 cup (2 sticks) softened unsalted butter (reduce salt amount by half if using salted butter. I typically put the butter in the microwave for 15-second intervals until soft. Make sure it does not completely melt as the butter should be relatively solid prior to mixing)
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1 egg yolk (save the egg whites for omelets, meringues, or other treats!)
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1 egg (both the yolks and whites)
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2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the cinnamon sugar topping:
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⅓ cup granulated sugar
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1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare the topping. Grab a small bowl and mix the sugar and cinnamon together to create a powdery, light brown mixture. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. I avoid touching the whisk to the bottom of the bowl. This is a sign that you are not actually combining the ingredients – the whisk is simply moving in circles around the bottom of the bowl. Instead, whisk in the middle of the flour mixture. Set aside.
Using a mixer (manual or stand) with a paddle attachment, beat together the SOFTENED butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. This should take about 2 minutes at a high speed. You are looking for a light yellow color. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the egg yolk, egg, and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix until combined. Add the dry ingredients in three parts on low speed, waiting until fully combined before adding the next part. Beat together until JUST COMBINED. Do NOT overmix. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Fully cover 2 baking trays with parchment paper. Measure 1.5 tablespoons of dough and roll it into a sphere. Immerse the dough ball in the cinnamon sugar topping, making sure to roll it around so that it is completely covered. Take out the ball and sprinkle more topping on it, rolling the cinnamon sugar mixture into the dough. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Place the balls onto the two baking trays so that they are three inches apart. I am able to fit six on one baking tray. Lightly pat the dough. Sprinkle more topping onto the balls if desired.
Bake for 10 minutes. The cookies will be very soft, so they must sit for at least 5 minutes once taken out of the oven. After about a minute of taking them out, grab a spoon and lightly press down on the tops of the cookies so that they flatten out a little more and achieve those picture-perfect creases. After 5 minutes, transfer cookies to a wire rack or plate for additional cooling.
Best when served fresh but will last for about a week if covered!