shortcut snickerdoodles.

shortcut snickerdoodles.

• 6.10.2014

A long, long time ago...

I can barely remember when I first made this recipe

And I knew if I had a chance

I'd give these cookies another glance

And filled happy tummies and souls with ecstasy

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I really don't know what's wrong with me. I've simply accepted the fact that I'm weirder than most. But one day, long ago, I wanted to make snickerdoodle cookies. I didn't have cream of tartar and I was likely too comfortable in my pajamas to go to the store. Whatever the reason, I needed a recipe that didn't call for the ingredient and eventually found this.

I've used this recipe ever since, and can honestly say I've never attempted a real snickerdoodle recipe with cream of tartar. Haven't found the need to. These fit the bill in texture and in taste!

I prefer most cookies to be airy and crisp near the edges and soft and/or chewy in the center. It's how I crave my chocolate chip cookies and what I look for in a snickerdoodle. Oatmeal and sugar cookies are a different story, but these... these are perfect.

When they first come out of the oven, the centers are pillowy and for a moment it seems like you're ending up with puffy, soft cookies. Wait a moment, hold your breath. Nope. They always settle into lovely, chewy cookies with yes! crisp - but not hard - edges. You need to bake them to know what I'm talking about. Yes, bake them. Bake them now.

Before I really got into baking, this was one of the only recipes I ever made. And fortune cookies. Did I mention that I'm weird? But back in the day of boycotting all things chocolate, these quickly became a go-to cookie that always garnered compliments.

I love giving gifts... especially baked goods. And that's why I consulted my trusty snickerdoodle recipe. We were helping our new youth pastor move houses and I wanted to bring along a housewarming gift... or at least sustenance for all the calories we burned. I didn't have time to chill dough and didn't want to worry about anything else that was fancy and time-consuming, so voila! Snickerdoodles.

A few also managed to migrate into the hands of the men who were finishing up our landscaping. Trading cookies for trees... it works out. :)

But happily, I have a more manageable number of goods to consume this week as opposed to the mammoth pile of lemon glazed sugar cookies from earlier. I'm still mourning their absence from the kitchen counter. Stinking delicious.

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Click for printable recipe.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

2¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup shortening
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups sugar, plus 3 tablespoons
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, plus ¼ teaspoon
½ teaspoon vanilla


1. Preheat oven to 350. Sift the flour, baking soda, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and salt into a bowl.

2. With a handheld or standing mixer, beat together the shortening and butter in separate medium-sized bowl. Add the 1½ cups sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and flour mixture, blending until smooth.

3. Mix the 3 tablespoons sugar with the cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll the dough, by hand into 1½-inch balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar. Flatten the balls into ½-inch thick disks, spacing them evenly on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake until light brown, but still moist in the center, about 12 minutes. Cook on a rack. Serves 3 dozen.

Recipe from the Food Network