Day 3: Snickerdoodles

These are some of my all-time favorite cookies!  I can't begin to tell you how much I love these cookies.  I've been making them since high school, but I'm not even the least bit tired of them yet.  My youngest, Zach, can't quite say 'snickerdoodle,' so he proudly calls them 'cinnamon cookies.'  I don't bake a lot of cookies in my house, but if I find myself making any cookies throughout the year, snickerdoodles are one of the top 2 options. 

 

They are best described (in my mind) as clouds of happiness rolled around in cinnamon-sugar.  These cookies are so moist and buttery and they are incredibly addictive.  My kids had way too many when they came out of the oven, but that's clearly when all cookies are the most flavorful.  Right?

I didn't bother to look to much into the history of these cookies.  So, let's focus on the basics. . . they are delightful to eat and even more fun to say. . .

Snickerdoodles (adapted from Emeril Lagassee's recipe)

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (or white whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 3 tablespoons
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.

With a handheld or standing mixer, beat the butter. Add the 1 1/2 cups sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes (I often substitute brown sugar for 1 cup of the white sugar). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture and blend until smooth.

Mix the 3 tablespoons sugar with the cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll the dough, by hand, into 1 1/2-inch balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar. Flatten the balls into 1/2-inch thick disks, spacing them evenly on unlined cookie sheets. Bake until light brown, but still moist in the center, about 9-10 minutes. Cool on a rack.