When it comes to dessert, I hate to choose favorites! That being said, there is one that I always come back to. One that I have the best memories of my mom baking on holidays. One that makes me feel like a kid again to this day.

Have you guessed it?

Snickerdoodle Cookies! 🙂

I know, that was an easy guess considering I recounted my love for these cinnamon-y delights in last week’s post (Searching for Snickerdoodle). But hey, snickerdoodles deserve all this love!

That’s the beautiful result of last night’s snickerdoodle cookie baking fun! Don’t they just look delicious?!! 😛

Being that it’s a holiday weekend, I wanted to make something nostalgic rather than experiment with a snickerdoodle spin on something. No, for this weekend, I needed something classic – something that reminded me of home and family and fun. So, I texted my mom and got her favorite snickerdoodle recipe!

The recipe is below, but I want to get you hungry first, hehe 🙂

Let’s talk about the perfect snickerdoodle. There are four building blocks in this classic favorite: the exterior, the interior, the coating, and the tang.

The first thing you notice when biting into a perfect snickerdoodle is the exterior – it’s not the same as the inside. Instead, there’s a decidedly firm exterior, like a crust or crispy shell. This delicate bite lets you know it isn’t any old cookie!

As already hinted at above, snickerdoodles are deliciously divergent in their texture – there’s that thin crust-like layer and then there’s the center. It’s soft, heavenly, cloud-like! Now, don’t go thinking this means it’s like merengue topping and will disintegrate on your tongue. Nothing like that! Snickerdoodle centers have substance – just like pillows do!

So we have a cookie, but we have no flavor yet…enter the cinnamon sugar coating! I personally like to taste the cinnamon yet still let the simplicity of sugar and vanilla shine. It’s like a present and the cinnamon sugar is the wrapping paper 🙂

The last building block that makes a snickerdoodle a snickerdoodle is the hint of tang it has. You honestly don’t really even taste it – the tang is that subtle! It’s actually mostly a lingering thing after you finish the cookie. But it’s there, and it’s what makes a good snickerdoodle a snickerdoodle and not a sugar cookie. Where does this tang come from? I’m so glad you asked – cream of tartar. Go into your spice cabinet and taste a teeny tiny bit of cream of tartar. You’ll have found the characteristic tang!

Alright, enough describing the mighty, yummy snickerdoodle 🙂 Here’s the recipe I used:

The Cookies

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

The Cinnamon Sugar

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

The Instructions

1. Cookies: Whisk together flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar in medium bowl until well combined. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl (ideally using an electric mixer on medium speed), cream butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
3. Add egg and beat well.
4. Beat in vanilla. Scrape down sides of bowl.
5. On low speed or using a wooden spoon, gradually add flour mixture, beating until just blended.
6. Cover dough with plastic wrap and and chill for at least 1 hour.
7. Preheat oven to 350°F
8. Cinnamon Sugar: In a shallow dish, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon until well blended.
9. Roll pieces of dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in cinnamon sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheets covered in parchment paper. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges start to turn lightly golden.
10. Immediately slide parchment paper onto a wire cooling rack.
11. Enjoy once cooled…or before – your preference! 😀