Snickerdoodles

I LOVE cookies, but have never been a huge fan of snickerdoodles. For some reason they’ve always bored me in the past, something about the lack of chunks and texture made them pale in comparison to a chunky chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin cookie. That’s certainly not to say I wouldn’t eat them, just that they weren’t my first choice. Recently however, Kevin requested them specifically, and I figured they’d be easy enough to throw together, so I whipped out my Flour Bakery cookbook, and set to work.

Well wouldn’t you know I found my new favorite cookie of the moment! These snickerdoodles were SO AMAZING, if you can’t tell from the photos. I guess there’s just something about the simplicity I found boring that is actually quite endearing, and makes them just the homiest, most comforting and delectable little bundles of sweet buttery cookie dough you’ve ever tasted.

The cinnamon sugar crust is just the right amount of sweet and spice to give the delicate interiors a kick of flavor, and a lovely little crunch. Snickerdoodles are inherently crispier than I prefer a cookie to be, but these are just too delicious – I threw that rule right out the window.

If you hit the sweet spot on baking time, when the edges are just starting to turn golden and the centers are barely set, the resulting cookie is so tender and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. If you let them go a little bit longer, the result is more firm and crispy, but the incredible flavor is still there. I made the dough on a weeknight and we kept it in an airtight container for the whole week, baking off fresh cookies every evening. What a treat! Towards the end I baked off the rest of the dough and froze the remaining cookies, which also worked just as well.

And if you happen to have some dulce de leche hanging around… well, it’s great as a cookie spread or sandwiched in between. You can thank me later

Snickerdoodles
from Joanne Chang and the Flour Bakery Cookbook

Ingredients
2 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. table salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 ¾  cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Directions
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350°F.

1) In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar to blend. Set aside.

2) Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment beat the butter and 1-1/2 cups of the sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the eggs until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl again.

3) With the mixer on low speed, slowly blend in the flour until incorporated, about 30 seconds.

**Baking note: These cookies are best if the dough has time to chill completely. I stored my dough in the refrigerator for about 3 hours before baking. If you don’t have the time (or simply can’t wait for your cookies), you can proceed from here.

4) In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon and remaining 1/4  cup sugar. Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls into the cinnamon sugar and roll around to coat. Set the coated balls of dough about 3 inches apart on greased cookie sheets.

5) Bake until golden brown on the edges and slightly soft in the center, 15 to 18 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 1 minute before transferring them to a rack to cool.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days or frozen for a month.  The dough can also be refrigerated/frozen for use at a later time. We kept our dough in the fridge for about a week and had fresh, warm cookies every night.