snickerdoodles

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Such a silly name for such a comforting, tangy, cinnamon-y, homey (and homely) cookie. Hailing from the northeastern United States, these crinkly cookies are said to have been derived in the late 1800s from German recipes for Schneckennudel 
, a sweet roll (thanks Wikipedia). Wherever they came from, we thank you!

Most modern recipes for snickerdoodles contain a combination of butter and shortening, and we have found that provides the best, most consistent result. Cream of tartar is essential for attaining that signature puff and crinkle. It reacts with the baking soda, causing it to puff then collapse. 

Don't worry about using cream of tartar that you've had forever. Cream of tartar lasts pretty much indefinitely.

We prefer our snickerdoodles on the soft side, and found that baking for 9 minutes was sufficient. If you want a crunchier cookie, bake for a little longer. If you don't want to bake all the cookies at once, the dough balls can be frozen for up to a month. Bake those from frozen in a 300 degree F oven for 18-20 minutes.

This recipe is from the America's Test Kitchen book, The Perfect Cookie.

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ingredients

• 2-1/2 cups (12 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 8 Tablespoons vegetable shortening
• 2 large eggs
• 1-1/2 cups (10.5 ounces) sugar, plus 1/4 cup for rolling
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

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directions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar.
4. Using a stand mixer fitted with SideSwipe or a flat paddle, beat butter, shortening and 1-1/2 cups sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes with standard paddle, 1-1/2 minutes with SideSwipe.
5. Add eggs one at a time, mixing on medium speed until well incorporated.
6. On low speed, mix in the dry ingredients until combined, 15-30 seconds.
7. Combine the remaining sugar and cinammon in a small, shallow bowl.
8. Scoop 2 Tablespoon size portions, roll into balls, the roll one at a time in sugar mixture until well coated.
9. Spacing about 2 inches apart, place on lined cookie sheets.
10. Bake immediately for 9-12 minutes, then allow to cool for 10 minutes Cool completely on a wire rack.
11. For frozen dough balls, bake at 300F for 18-20 minutes.

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