Snickerdoodle Cookies

Snickerdoodle Cookies a nice sweet lightly tangy cookie with the hit of cinnamon that makes it classic. This is my Grandma’s traditional and delicious recipe.

I love the cracked tops that the Snickerdoodles develop.

The story of the Snickerdoodle cookies… I talked a little about them in my post on Rocky Road Cookies.

Grandma’s recipe for Snickerdoodles. That’s grandma’s hand writing too!

This is my Grandma’s recipe for Snickerdoodles. It’s the one that I grew up eating. It’s the one that I grew up making. I think making Grandma’s recipe is a link back to the past. It makes you become a little nostalgic. Grandma was short. Even as a kid I remember thinking how short she was. I didn’t get to she her too often, maybe once a year in the winter.

See, they lived in Michigan, so they traveled in the winter to get away from the snow. Oh, and they had a trailer. As a kid I always thought that was cool. To drive all that way with a trailer. I’d still love to travel across the country and see all that this country has to offer.

Oh, Back to the cookies… I like this recipe because the cinnamon flavor is pure and good. The cream of tartar (a natural, pure ingredient left behind after grape juice has fermented to wine) helps to stabilize the cookies as well as give them a little tang or acidity.

Organic, trans-fat-free shortening. Don’t be fooled by the label on some shortenings that say “0 grams per serving”. Look at the ingredients, if it says “partially hydrogenated oil” it has trans-fat in it.

One of the first steps in making these cookies was for me to find some trans-fat free shortening. I found this brand at Sprouts Market, and it’s even organic, to boot!

This is my first time using this kind of shortening. I haven’t made these cookies in years because I didn’t want the trans-fat found in regular shortening.

Fresh from the oven, these cookies were exactly as I remembered. Soft, puffy, cinnamon spice, with a little tang. Oh so yummy. They flattened out as they cooled, as they’re supposed to. We ate a few. And, a few more. The husband even commented that they were perfect, crispy outside and soft and chewy inside.

A stack of Snickerdoodle cookies, ready to be gobbled up

These cookies don’t need to be stored in an airtight container. In fact, when they’re stored airtight, they become crispy and crunchy. Store them on the counter in an open container to keep them soft; they lose a little of that crispy outside, but remain soft.

I think the difference in the storage is in the new shortening. But, I’d rather have a picky shortening than have any trans-fat in my diet.

Next time, I think I’ll make the dough, bake up a dozen or so to eat now. I’ll take the leftover dough, roll it into a log, wrap it up tight, and freeze it. Then, I can take it out of the freezer anytime and bake up some fresh soft cookies.

homemade Snickerdoodles… all cinnamony and warm

the shortening and sugar being mixed with a fork (my preferred method for making cookies). You can use the stand mixer if you prefer.

the dough has been formed into balls and rolled in the cinnamon sugar. Next step, bake!

Grandma’s Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe

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Snickerdoodles

Servings 60

Author Debi

Ingredients

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, using a sturdy fork, mix together the shortening and sugar until all the sugar has been incorporated into the shortening. Add in the eggs.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the shortening mixture. Chill the dough for about 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Once the dough is chilled, roll into balls the size of small walnuts, and roll the balls into the cinnamon sugar mixture.
4. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet that has been lined with a silpat or parchment paper. Bake until lightly brown but still soft, about 8-10 minutes. Cookies puff up at first, then flatten with a crinkled top. Remove from oven, and let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes to harden. Transfer to wire rack and let cool completely. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Makes about 5 dozen cookies