Snickerdoodles

By ltruitt

Editors’ Choice Cookbook Collection. From Baking Illustrated.

Why this recipe works:

We found cream of tartar and baking soda to be essential ingredients in our snickerdoodle recipe not only because the cream of tartar adds the characteristic tangy flavor but because they effected a rise followed by a collapse that resulted in a crinkly appearance. We opted out of adding vanilla to the cookies so that the tanginess would be more pronounced. Many snickerdoodle recipes call for shortening, an ingredient that we generally dismiss because of its lack of flavor. But in the case of this cookie, shortening plays a key role in obtaining the right texture—we found that cookies made with a small amount of shortening along with butter spread less during baking than cookies made with all butter. (less)
Makes about 30

These old-fashioned cookies are dusted with cinnamon sugar and have a good contrast between crisp exterior and soft, chewy interior.

Storing Cookies

To ensure that cookies stay soft and fresh, place a small piece of bread along with the cookies in a zipper-lock bag.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups (11 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter , softened but still cool
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar , plus 3 tablespoons for rolling dough
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon for rolling dough

Details

Servings 30

Preparation

Step 1

Instructions

1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, cream the butter, shortening, and the 1½ cups sugar at medium speed until combined, 1 to 1½ minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs. Beat until combined, about 30 seconds.

4. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 20 seconds.

5. Mix the 3 tablespoons sugar for rolling and the cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Working with a heaping tablespoon of dough each time, roll the dough into 1½-inch balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

6. Bake until the edges of the cookies are beginning to set and the centers are soft and puffy, 9 to 11 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets 2 to 3 minutes before transferring them with a wide metal spatula to a wire rack.