Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles are my favorite cookie for sure. They can be soft or crunchy, but always sweet and scrumptious. Snickerdoodles are one of the first things I can remember baking with my mom, and they always seemed to be a favorite with the whole family. Whether it was baking mini cookies for my dog (he was blind, but always knew they were in the oven), or for my Grandpa Mike's birthday, snickerdoodles always seemed to be in the oven. I remember my sister and I anxiously waiting for my grandpa to open his cookies so we could get our hands on them. He would loved to pair the cookies with a cold glass of milk, and was always so sweet to share them.


Snickerdoodles are so simple to make. You can make the dough a head of time and refrigerate (about 3 to 4 days at most in plastic wrap) and then roll the dough into to small balls and bake at your convenience.

Here are the ingredients:
-1 1/2 cup sugar
-1 cup shortening
-2 eggs (I use large)
-2 3/4 cup sifted flour
-2 teaspoons cream of tartar
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-Sugar and cinnamon mixture (your preferred combination)

To begin, cream sugar, shortening and eggs.

Sift flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt; add to creamed mixture. Mix until well blended - chill if desired. (I like to chill my dough, because I think it is easier to work with cold).


Form into small balls the size of small walnuts (about 1.5 inches). Roll in sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. I like to use parchment paper, because it allows for more even baking, and your cookies won't burn on your pan. The most recent time I made these I ran out of parchment and used foil. I definitely don't recommend that! Foil tends to lead to uneven baking.

Bake at 425 degrees for about 6 - 10 minutes. I usually bake mine for 6 minutes because I like them pretty soft. Snickerdoodles (at least this recipe) harden rather quickly. By the next day your cookies will be much crunchier. It is best to serve them the same day you bake them if you want to retain their soft chewy texture.

Snickerdoodles are a classic sugary cookie, but my memories make them all the sweeter.