Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles!  This snickerdoodles recipe is simple and no-fuss.  This classic snickerdoodles cookie will be a hit with any crowd.

I don’t make Snickerdoodles much.  Truth be told, I’m not a huge fan.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have anything against them, they’ve just never been my favorite.  Maybe {definitely} it’s my chocoholic nature.

Robb loves them, though.  {He’s not a chocoholic.  I’m not sure why I married him.}  And with a family camping trip coming up quick, I figured I had better make a big batch of them to take with us.  They’re great for camping, because they aren’t too messy… no chocolate to get melty or frosting to get all over everything.

Plus, they’re classic.  People understand Snickerdoodles.  They know what they’re getting.  There are no surprises and no wondering if you have to pretend to have an allergy to one of the ingredients.

My grandma has been making Snickerdoodles for years, and I got this recipe from her.  Her version uses a cup of butter, and please understand, there ain’t nothing wrong with that, but sometimes I use shortening instead.

The butter enthusiasts are pulling their hair out right now.

It’s just that they are a little easier to bake when made with shortening.  They hold their shape better.  I don’t have to smash them flat with the bottom of a glass like I do with the butter version.  A quick drop of the baking sheet when the cookies first come out of the oven, and they are flat as a pancake.

Just as they should be.

So, in the interest of full disclosure, here are the changes if you want to make yours with butter:

Use 1 cup of softened butter instead of 1 cup of shortening.
Use 3 3/4 cups flour instead of 3 1/2 cups.
Roll dough into little balls to bake, and use the bottom of a small glass to smash them flat when they first come out of the oven.  Then let them sit on the baking sheet a couple minutes before you move them to a cooling rack.

And voila!  Perfect Snickerdoodles… whichever recipe you choose.

Print Recipe

Snickerdoodles

Classic snickerdoodles, coated in cinnamon and sugar.

Cook Time9 mins

Servings: 5 dozen

Ingredients

• 1 cup shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 1/2 cups flour

For Rolling:

• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

• Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
• Add cream of tartar, salt, and soda, and mix well. Add flour, and mix just until combined.
• In a separate dish, mix sugar and cinnamon.
• Roll dough into balls, roll balls in cinnamon mixture to coat. Place on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
• Drop baking sheet on the countertop immediately after removing from oven, to flatten cookies. Let cookies sit for 1-2 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.