Snickerdoodles are a cookie-tin favorite at Christmas and all year. Cream of tartar gives their signature tang and chewy texture.
Pull them out while the centers still look a little soft.
Ingredients
Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Coating
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Make the dough. Heat the oven to 375°F. Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, then the eggs and vanilla. Mix in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
Roll. Roll into 1 1/2-inch balls and roll each in the cinnamon sugar.
Bake. Bake 2 inches apart on parchment-lined pans 8 to 10 minutes, until set at the edges but soft in the center.
Cool. Cool 5 minutes on the pan, then on a rack.
Tips
To freeze: let it cool, wrap it well or seal it in freezer bags, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, or warm briefly in the oven.
Chill the dough 30 minutes if it is too soft to roll.
Freeze the cinnamon-sugared dough balls and bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes.
Questions about this recipe
Can I make snickerdoodles without cream of tartar?
Use 2 teaspoons baking powder instead of the cream of tartar and baking soda; they will be puffier and less tangy.
Why are mine flat?
The butter was too soft or the dough too warm; chill it first.
