Cookie Week: Snickerdoodles

I can't believe Cookie Week has already come to a close!  Time sure does have a tendency to fly by especially fast this time of year.  To end our week of cookies, I chose a classic: snickerdoodles.  You can't really go wrong with snickerdoodles.  And the recipe I turn to without fail simply comes from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook (or as my family always calls it, the Checkerboard Cookbook).  I have made this recipe countless times, and it never fails to turn out wonderful results.

Snickerdoodles

from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and egg and mix well.  Mix in baking soda and cream of tartar.  Finally, mix in flour until well combined.  

Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl.  Roll cookie dough into 1 inch balls and then roll to coat in cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes.

Notes:

--The one trick of this recipe is not to overbake them.  Take them out when they are just barely set and have large cracks in the tops.  Once they start to get golden brown on the edges, they are overdone and will be crispy.  If you take them out at the right time, they will stay nice and soft as long as they are kept in an airtight container.

--The original recipe calls to refrigerate the dough for an hour before rolling out the cookies.  I never do this because the dough is pretty manageable on its own.

--This recipe is pretty small and makes just about 2 dozen cookies.  However, from extensive experience I can tell you that it works great doubled or even tripled.

Enjoy!

-Jennie