No one knows where the name "snickerdoodle" comes from and even the origin of the cookie is shrouded in mystery, but what isn't mysterious is where all the cookies go when you make this snickerdoodle cookie recipe.
Victorian Cookie Modern Marvel
Some cookies, like the chocolate chip cookie, have a distinct history. We know who invented them and when. Other cookies, like the always-popular snickerdoodle, are mysteries.
We do know that they are an American invention and that they were first created sometime in the early 1800s, but other than that we only have the cookie to enjoy. When I first tried a snickerdoodle, I thought "Hmmm, interesting sugar cookie." But as I delved further into the snickerdoodle realm, trying various recipes and toppings, I realized that this was not just a sugar cookie with an attitude but a cookie with it's own evolutionary path.
Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe
All snickerdoodle cookie recipes use cream of tartar to give them their expected tangy flavor. When paired with baking soda, this will cause the cookie to rise quickly and then collapse, producing the crinkly top and chewy texture that make the snickerdoodle as close to perfection as a cookie can get.
Ingredients
- 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 sticks of butter at room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons light corn syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
For topping
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.
- Make sure the dry ingredients are mixed well, I like to use a fork or whisk to make sure that the leavening is well distributed.
- Using your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, corn syrup, and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until completely combined.
- Add the flour 1 cup at a time until all the flour has been fully incorporated.
- Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for five or ten minutes until it has firmed.
- Mix the topping in a bowl.
- Roll the dough into balls about an inch and a half across. They don't need to be perfect but they do need to be about the same size.
- Roll the balls in the topping mixture.
- Place the dough balls two inches apart on a cookie sheet that has a sheet of parchment paper on it or has been sprayed with non-stick spray.
- Back the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly golden on the edges.
- Let the cookies cool before removing them from the cookie sheet.
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