Cookies for Santa: Snickerdoodles

Dsc00634 I think that it is pretty safe to say that everybody loves Snickerdoodles.  How can you not love a cookie with a name that fun to say??  I think that our fondness for these crackly cinnamon-sugar treats can partially be attributed to the fact that they hand the recipe out to all grandmothers as a part of their initiation.  They are so old-fashioned that they have become fashionable again!

Snickerdoodles are probably German in origin, and some say that the name is taken from the German word "schneckennudeln," which translates as "crinkly noodles."  Others say that it is just a nonsense word that was invented in America.  Either way, these cookies are crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, full of cinnamon flavor, and, when partnered with a cold glass of milk for dunking, they always made the perfect after-school snack.

Because these cookies are so simple to make and the ingredients are ones that most people always have in supply, these would be great to make for a last minute holiday cookie exchange or to leave out as a snack for Santa.  I'm sure his grandmother made them too.  Here are some tips for the Snickerdoodles:

  • The balls of dough can be frozen in a resealable plastic bag for up to two weeks.  Thaw them at room temperature for 15 minutes and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar and bake.  You may need to increase the baking time by a few minutes.
  • The baked cookies can be stored at room temperature, in an airtight container between sheets of waxed paper, for up to one week.
  • If you like a flatter cookie, flatten the balls of dough with the bottom of a drinking glass after placing them on the cookie sheets.
  • If you don't have parchment paper, then simply place the balls of dough on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Snickerdoodles

Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients:

Topping

3 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Cookie Dough

3 ½ cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powderDsc00625

2 teaspoons baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon and set it aside.

Stir together the dry ingredients.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter.  Add the sugar and continue to mix until fluffy, about 4 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, then add the corn syrup and vanilla, and mix thoroughly.  Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until blended.  Chill dough for one hour.

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.  Roll dough into balls about the size of a golf ball, and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar to coat.  Place the balls on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and space them about 2 ½ inches apart.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, until puffed and the surface is slightly cracked.  Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

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