Baking history
Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 12:44PM The Spin Cycle over at Sprite's Keeper is all about your holiday baking recipe this week. I love to bake; I'm not a half-bad cook, either, but baking is my forte. I mean, really - would you rather have a greasy pork chop for your efforts, or a smooth chocolate cream pie?
Also, there's no real feasible way to make pastries healthy, so I don't even feel obliged to try.
These cookies are my 'go-to' recipe for holiday baking. I make lots of good things, but these ones get the most requests and disappear the fastest. I first made them in 1993, for my bestest bud in Vancouver. She requested them over and over; we would make them and boil cinnamon potpourri and listen to Sarah MacLachlan and pretend it was Christmas, even if it was just grey and pouring rain in February.
On her birthday one year, I was late to class because I was baking her a batch. I arrived triumphantly with them and sang "You Are My Sunshine" at the top of my lungs. When I left Vancouver, occasionally I would FedEx her a tupperware container full of cookies.
I know, right? I should have been someone's boyfriend. I even used to put little notes in Fashionista's shoes telling her what a fabulous person she was.
Anyway.
I don't just make them at Christmas - once I tried to make them on an Australian farmstead with some extremely ancient cream of tartar and they were rather flat - but in December I make them at least twice. If I don't get them out of the house immediately I just eat the whole damn plate. Last year, I inadvertently sparked an office 'bake-off' by taking them in to share. Yeah, that wasn't very good for my HASAY progress.
This year, I made them with my son. They're quick and easy enough to keep a 2-year-old's attention. Also, he was pretty thrilled with the resulting "nummies".
The copy I have of this recipe is from 2001, when I had a sudden brain fart and couldn't remember how to make them, and my Mom had to email me the recipe. She wrote: "I've copied it into the message 'cos I don't think hotmail does attachments very well". Heh.
Snickerdoodles
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon
***
1 c. butter/margarine
1-1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2-3/4 c. flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1. Mix 2 Tbsp of sugar and 2 Tbsp of cinnamon and set aside.
2. Cream butter, sugar, eggs
3. Add dry ingredients and mix well
4. Chill for at least an hour
5. Shape into balls approx the size of walnuts
6. Roll in sugar/cinnamon mixture
7. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and press flat with a spoon
8. Bake at 375 for approx. 10 mins
There's a bit of a science to the time depending on your oven, altitude, and cream of tartar (it must lose its leavening ability over time or something). But once you have that sussed, you're golden.
And about 10 pounds heavier. I could do without that little historic reminder.
Spin Cycle
Reader Comments (27)
Balls the size of walnuts is the desired size!? You are my type of woman! haha!
Snickerdoodles are JR's second favorite cookie. I'm surprised he hasn't asked for them yet. Probably will next week.
Oh yum!!!!!! I love Snickerdoodles!! Thanks for the recipe! I will have to give them a try...I am not much of a baker these days. Sort of retired!! LOL!!
Hugs
SueAnn
So can we assume (us, the readers/your faithful followers) will all receive a FedEx of cookie-filled tupperware containers? I mean with it being the Season of Giving and all...I'm just saying. ;-)
Enjoy the baking! Lisa
Oh, I love snickerdoodles! This sounds like a keeper!
I am the world's worst cook. But baking treats? I totally kick ass.
I used to make Snickerdoodles when I was younger...I wonder if these are the same, they look similar... only a taste test will tell.
we love snickerdoodles here too. Plus, here's a way to make them a tad more festive:
dye some sugar green and some red. Then roll the balls (sans cinnamon) in the colored sugar. they taste the same but look Christmasy :)
I don't bake.
It pisses me off when I spend time creating something and people just eat it.
OMG, those look delish! Those are my hubs fav kind of cookies!
Aw, you're such a good friend. I might just have to try these. I've never baked with the tartar stuff -- it sounds interesting.
I've never had snickerdoodles! I see them advertised and everyone raves about them so maybe it's time to get off my high horse for the holidays (since yesterday's sugar cookie massacre is still fresh in my mind) and snarf one down. I'll do it for you! (As long as I get to blame you for the pound I gain.)
You're linked!
mmmm....snickerdoodles...
When I was a kid, my best friend's mom used to make these. I remember them fondly (and I just like being able to get the word fondle into a comment).
I might have to try this recipe. Maybe I'll be the friend's mom that gets remembered...
Snickerdoodles are my all time FAVORITE. Hubby keeps forgetting and gets me chocolate chip instead. Probably because his favorite are CC. Me? Snickerdoodles all the way. And they have a funny name. :)
That may be a recipe I'll have to try... in all my extra time!
I would eat those. I might have to buy some fresh cream of tartar though, I think we've had ours for at least five Christmases.
You are quite possibly the best boyfriend ever. ;)
I have never had Snickerdoodles but my girls keep asking for them. I may have to break down and try them now that I have recipe.
I haven't had a snickerdoodle since I left America and you've just reminded me how much I love them!
Making them soon x
Sadly, there was no box of cookie treats in my mail today. You are slackin' woman!
They do look delish, I wasn't going to bake this week but you may have forced my hand!
Oh my, you SHOULD have been someone's boyfriend. For a batch of these, I'll let you take me out. And I'm really, really easy.
yummy and coincidently I just read that while munching on some I just made. Yummy!
I love Snickerdoodles.
They're also fun to say.
I totally just copied and pasted that recipe into my recipe file. Mmmmm I got a feeling Kat is gonna be making cookies later.
Oh and I just bought a new jar of Cream of Tartar. Woot!!
We love Snickerdoodles. I made them for a cookie exchange, and I weighed each and every "walnut sized ball", at 16 gms so my batter would make exactly 5 doz!!!!
I Love Snickerdoodles and lost my recipe so I'll be using yours from now on. Thanks!!!!!!!