Snickerdoodles

Cinnamon and sugar make for one awesome and classic holiday cookie. These guys are quick and easy to throw together and make the whole house smell like butter and cinnamon perfection. Snickerdoodles are also great for getting help in the kitchen from our little friends! Depending on age and skill level, kids can jump in and help roll them in cinnamon sugar or go all the way up to making these guys all by themselves. 

Snickerdodles:

1 cup (2 sticks) softened unsalted butter

2 cups sugar

2 large or extra large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbs light corn syrup

4 cups AP flour

1 Tbs baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

+ extra cup of sugar and 2-4 tsp cinnamon for rolling the cookies in before baking

Pardon the lack of step by step pictures for this one. Most cookie recipes come together the same way, so if you're unsure about the process, refer to the chocolate cookie recipe in the previous post. I'm one busy baker the couple weeks before Christmas, so I couldn't really slow down and do each step justice.

In the bowl of your mixer, cream together your softened butter and sugar. After a couple minutes when both are well combined and the butter looks lighter in color, add in your eggs and mix. After the eggs are well incorporated, add in the corn syrup and vanilla. Keep in mind that for these steps in the recipe and up until you add the flour to just about any recipe, you can't really over mix it, so when in doubt, let it go a little longer. After you've added flour, though, every turn of the mixer counts because the more you work the flour, the more gluten develops and can make cookies hard and not soft and chewy or crispy.

Add all of your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon) to the egg and butter mixture. Mix until just combined.

Remove your cookie dough from your mixer and wrap it in plastic. Stash it in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, but it can easily go overnight. You can choose to skip this step, but it makes the cookies so much easier to roll, I don't suggest it.

Now it's time to prep a couple of cookie sheets with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Also, mix up you extra cinnamon and sugar and place in a wide bowl on a paper plate.

Scoop your dough with a disher or by the tablespoon full and roll it into a ball with your hands. Roll the cookie in cinnamon sugar and place on your cookie sheet. Be sure to leave a good couple of inches between the cookie because these guys spread a fair amount.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. The cookies will get their great crinkled exterior in the last couple of minutes of baking, so if you don't see it, let them bake a couple of minutes longer.

Let your cookies cool and enjoy!