Sometimes
it is easy to over look cookie recipes that have been around a long time. Maybe
it is because these cookies are more plain looking than today's creations or
maybe it is because they do not use exotic ingredients. But what these old
fashioned cookies do have is great flavor that makes eating one just about
impossible. Snickerdoodles are a great example of this. While using the most
basic of ingredients; butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and ground cinnamon, when you
bite into one you will find the
edges are wonderfully crisp yet inside the texture is soft and chewy with a
lovely buttery sweet flavor. They are similar to a sugar cookie in taste, only
instead of sprinkling a little white granulated sugar on top of each cookie
before baking, you roll the entire cookie in a cinnamon sugar mixture.
Today's Snickerdoodle
recipes are different from older ones in that they use baking powder as
the leavener, instead of cream of tartar and baking soda. (If you want to
try this combination, just replace the baking powder in the recipe with 2
teaspoons of cream of tartar and 1 teaspoon of baking soda.) These cookies
should be baked only until the edges begin to brown. This will keep the
outside crisp with a soft and chewy interior. Baking them longer
will make them more crisp and not as soft inside. These are delicious warm
or at room temperature. They will keep very well so they make an ideal
cookie for holiday gift giving.
Snickerdoodles, also
called Snipdoodles or Cinnamon Sugar Cookies, have been around since the
late 1800s. They probably originated in New England and are either of
German or Dutch descent. Unfortunately there is no clue as to how they got
such a peculiar name.
Snickerdoodles: In a
large bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
In the bowl of your electric mixer
(or with a hand mixer),
beat the butter and sugar until smooth
(about 2 to 3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after
each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat until you have a smooth
dough. If the dough is soft, cover and refrigerate until firm enough to roll
into balls (one to two hours).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (190
degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets
with parchment paper.
Shape the dough into 1 inch (2.5
cm) round balls.
Coating: In a large shallow
bowl mix together the sugar and cinnamon.
Roll the balls of dough in the
cinnamon sugar and place on the prepared pan, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm)
apart. Then, using the bottom of a glass, gently flatten each cookie to about
1/2 inch (1.5 cm) thick.
Bake the cookies for about 8 - 10
minutes, or until they are light golden brown around the edges. Remove from oven
and place on a wire rack to cool.
Can store in an airtight
container, at room temperature, for about 10 - 14 days.
Makes about 6 dozen cookies.
M&M's is a registered
trademark of Mars, Incorporated.
Sources:
Kimball, Christopher. The
Dessert Bible. Little, Brown, and Company, New York: 2000.
King Arthur Flour Company, Inc.
The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion. The Countryman Press. Woodstock:
2004.
Medrich, Alice. Alice Medrich's
Cookies and Brownies. Warner Books, Inc. New York: 1999.
Wilson, Dede. A Baker's Field
Guide to Christmas Cookies. The Harvard Common Press. Boston: 2003.
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