Of all the cookies of my childhood, Snickerdoodles are easily in my top three favourite. They're easy, they're tasty, and they keep for just about ever in the freezer. I can't swear to it, but it's entirely possible my profile picture is from a Snickerdoodle day. It was either that or peanut butter, since I was only allowed to help make those two when I was that little.
One tradition from my childhood that I still keep is visible in the picture above. See the gap where there should be another cookie? It was in my mouth while I took the picture. It's practically a law that I have to eat one when it's so hot from the oven it burns my tongue!
Like I said, they're easy. Not too many ingredients, and really hard to screw up. Flour, sugar, shortening, eggs, cream of tartar, baking soda, and cinnamon. There is also salt, which of course I forgot because I am incapable of taking an accurate ingredients photo. Also included is the recipe card I use every time. It was very carefully written by my oldest sister when she was a kid, and it lives in the metal recipe box my mother has had since before she got married. We're pretty big on tradition when it comes to recipes around here.
First, cream together the shortening and sugar until they're smooth, then beat in the eggs until everything is well mixed together. I use butter flavour Crisco, so mine tends to be a bit more yellow than if you used regular shortening, but whatever. I like the hint of butter it gives, but prefer the texture from shortening for these cookies.
In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. I use a spoon, but I know people who swear by a whisk to prevent clumping. Do whatever makes you happy, just make sure everything is mixed well so your cookies come out right.
Gradually stir the dry mixture into the shortening mixture. It works best if you do it in a few batches, and as you can see the resulting dough is somewhat dry. It shouldn't be too dry, and you need to make sure the flour mixture is completely incorporated.
I just use the now empty dry mixture bowl to mix the cinnamon and sugar coating, but feel free to do it in a separate bowl if you wish. Again, I use a spoon but some folks wear by a whisk. Doesn't matter, as long as your cinnamon and sugar end up looking like this.
Using your hands, form the dough into balls about the size of walnuts. Roll them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat completely, and place them about two inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Be careful when you move the sheet from wherever you're filling it to the oven! The balls tend to roll around and sometimes off the edge. When I was a kid, the dog used to love that part.
Into the oven they go, for 8-10 minutes. This first picture is after 8 minutes. The cookies are crisp on the edges but still soft, almost doughy, in the center. The next picture is after 10 minutes, so they're crisp all the way through and a bit browner. They also get more of a cracked texture if you leave them in longer. I like them both ways, so do whatever makes you happy.
I usually let then sit on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before moving them to a cooling rack with a spatula, but you don't have to. Let them cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to a week. You can also store them in an airtight container in the freezer for several months. I can't give you a real time on that since I've never been able to keep them more than six months, but they're still good for that long if not longer. You can even eat them straight out of the freezer, although I prefer letting them warm to room temperature first.
Snickerdoodles
Makes 6 dozen
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
Preheat oven to 400F.
Mix shortening, sugar, and eggs. In a separate bowl, mix flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Stir flour mixture into shortening mixture until well-blended.
In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons cinnamon. Using your hands, form balls the size of walnuts and roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes, then remove to racks to cool.
Serving Size: 28g (2 cookies)
Calories: 124
Calories from Fat: 55
Total Fat: 6.1g
Saturated Fat: 1.8g
Trans Fat: 0.0g
Cholesterol: 10mg
Sodium: 55mg
Total Carbohydrates: 16.7g
Sugars: 9.1g
Protein: 1.4g
*I don't claim this as an original. It's been in the recipe box in my mom's kitchen since well before my birth.
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