Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles were not a cookie I grew up with.  But last year I tried my hand at Snickerdoodle Blondies and loved the cinnamon sugar combination.  So when I was looking for a treat to pull us out of our Halloween candy coma I thought something simple would be best.  These cookies come from The All American Cookie Book by Nancy Baggett, one of my favorite cookbooks to flip through. 

My first batch came out rather large – like giant cookies.  But for the other batches I put the dough in the fridge, letting it chill for a bit.  I also made my scoops a bit smaller and the cookies came out a bit thicker and spread less.  These were a big hit.  They had the perfect hint of cinnamon and sugar.  My co-workers gobbled them up, and my boss even named them one of his favorites.  I’m definitely adding these to the Christmas cookie rotation.

Best Ever Snickerdoodles (The All-American Cookie Book)

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp cream of tarter

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 Tbs light corn syrup

2 large eggs

2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup sugar combined with 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon for topping

Preheat oven to 375º and line baking sheets with a silicone mat.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tarter, baking soda, salt and nutmeg, set aside.  In another large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and corn syrup together until well blended and fluffy.  Add the eggs and vanilla, beating until well blended and smooth.  Beat in half of the flour mixture until evenly incorporated.  Stir in the remaining flour mixture just until combined.  Let the dough stand for 5-10 minutes.  Mix together the additional sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

Roll portions of the dough into generous 1 1/2 inch balls with lightly greased hands (dough will be soft).  Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar.  Place on the baking sheets, spacing about 2 3/4 inches apart. 

Bake the cookies 8-11 minutes, or just until light golden brown at the edges.  Transfer the baking sheets to a wire rack and let stand until the cookies firm up slightly, about 2 minutes.  Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.