Snickerdoodles
April 16, 2008 at 4:40 pm | Posted in book review, cookies & bars, sweet things | 17 Comments
I think that snickerdoodles are totally underrated. Sure everyone loves them, but if asked to name a favorite cookie, I bet very few people think of them first. They don’t have chips, or nuts or raisins, but their beauty is in their old-fashioned simplicity…and in their adorable crinkly tops.
When I first thumbed though The Sweet Melissa Baking Book by Melissa Murphy (see here for my review), her recipe for snickerdoodles was the first that I wanted to try. This is such an easy cookie to make, and you don’t even have to have any fancy ingredients. The effort to reward ratio here is really in the baker’s favor. The recipe makes a lot– three dozen cookies if you use her one ounce size guideline. That’s too many for us to eat at once, but cookie dough freezes beautifully. So in a few days, I can thaw out a bit more dough and bake a few more of these sweet, cinnamony and slightly chewy cookies. Lovely!
The smell of cinnamon and butter baking in the oven is so good– I should manufacture a snickerdoodle-scented room spray.
Snickerdoodles– makes 3 dozen cookies
from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book by Melissa Murphy. All rights reserved. Copyright © Melissa Murphy, 2008
For the dough:
½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher saltFor the cinnamon sugar:
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ cup sugar
-In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs and mix until combined.
-In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until combined. The dough will be soft and too sticky to roll. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
-Position a rack in the top and bottom thirds of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
-For the cinnamon sugar: Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.
-Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop, or a tablespoon, shape the dough into balls and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar.
-Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Flatten them slightly with your fingertips so that they stay put. Bake for about 12 to 13 minutes, or until the bottoms are slightly golden in color. These cookies are supposed to be chewy, so do not overbake. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
*Snickerdoodles keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze well wrapped in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil for up to 3 weeks. Do not uncover before defrosting.
17 Comments »
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
Leave a Reply
Baked Fresh Weekly
Blog at WordPress.com.
Entries and comments feeds.
a whisk and a spoon 
Seriously, must all your pictures be so gorgeous?!?! I just enjoy your photos so much- they always look so yummy =)
Comment by dizzeecake— April 16, 2008 #
I have never tried snickerdoodles. But I just love the name. On it’s own its enough to make me want to try them.
Comment by KJ— April 16, 2008 #
I’ve never made these before, I’m going to have to try them after seeing yours Steph!
Comment by Nicisme— April 16, 2008 #
Your snickerdoodles look just perfect! And I keep seeing this book pop up all over the blogs in my Google Reader – I think I need to put it on my Amazon wish list 😉
Comment by Chelle— April 16, 2008 #
cinnamon is my favorite spice, but you’re right–if asked, i don’t think i’d say that the snickerdoodle is my favorite cookie.
yours look absolutely perfect.
oh, and butter rules.
Comment by grace— April 16, 2008 #
One of my top favorite cookies! These look wonderful.
Comment by Patricia Scarpin— April 16, 2008 #
you know, when they are good they are very very good but when they are not quite right..they are awful!
I LOVE snickerdoodles and these look *quite right*
🙂
Comment by marye— April 17, 2008 #
Geez-lousie, I haven’t had an actual snickerdoodle in jonks! Thanks for reminding me of their existence!
Comment by mari— April 17, 2008 #
I actually bought snickerdoodle perfume once – I think it was made by a company called Demeter… I got it at Sephora and they also have it at Anthropologie. And they have other fantastic scents like sugar cookie, honeysuckle (my favorite), brownie… But they have more natural scents too like wet grass and dirt (!). Anyway, a snickerdoodle room frangrance would be lovely 🙂
Comment by magpie— April 17, 2008 #
I’ve never had snickerdoodles before and I really want one! Yours look amazing!
Comment by Lina— April 17, 2008 #
i’ve always been sort of underwhelmed by the snickerdoodle. but, then, i realize that sometimes it’s about quality. having a really *good* one would probably make all t he difference.
Comment by kate— April 18, 2008 #
I am so glad your enjoying the book! I am thinking about what to bake next from the book. The cookies look sensational. 🙂
Comment by Gigi— April 18, 2008 #
The only problem I have with snickerdoodles is that because there’s not a whole lot in them I find it’s easy to eat half a dozen of them and not even realize it, they’re great!
Comment by brilynn— April 19, 2008 #
These look good 🙂
They would not stand a chance at my house!!
Comment by Tartelette— April 19, 2008 #
Oh my. Those look like the perfect snickerdoodles! Yum!
Comment by Holly— April 19, 2008 #
YUM! These are my b/f’s favorite cookies!
Comment by How To Eat A Cupcake— April 26, 2008 #
snickerdoodles are totally my favorite cookie and i always tihnk of them first!! yours look scrumptious…i have the sweet melissa book so i will have to postit that page.
Comment by Mara— April 29, 2008 #