Snickerdoodle cookie recipe

Snickerdoodle. I love saying the name. Even more than that, though, I love eating the cookies. Baking them is pretty great, too: the smell of cinnamon sugar perfumes the house better than any candle or crockpot of mulled cider ever could.

There are theories about the name: some say that it is similar to Schneckennudel, the name for a German cinnamon bun that translates as snail noodle. But these are neither buns nor noodles, so I prefer the theory that the name comes from the old New England tradition of giving cookies whimsical names.

Snickerdoodles are soft in the center, with a thin crunchy layer of cinnamon sugar on the outside. The cookie has a characteristic slight sour tang from the cream of tartar, which balances out all that heady cinnamon sugar.

Most recipes for snickerdoodles are much the same. They contain cream of tartar and baking powder and are rolled in cinnamon sugar. I like to give the cookies an extra dose of the cinnamon sugar: as soon as they come out of the oven and are flattened with a fork, sprinkle more of the cinnamon sugar over the top, and it makes its way into all those lovely crackly crannies. The warm cookie melts some of the sugar, helping it to adhere.

Snickerdoodles

Be sure to bring your ingredients to room temperature before making the cookies.

You will likely have leftover cinnamon sugar topping, which is lovely sprinkled on toast (or French toast, for that matter).

TOPPING

½ cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

COOKIES

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 ½ cups sugar

1 large egg

2 egg yolks

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat two sheet pans with cooking spray. Combine the topping ingredients in a small bowl.

2. Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg, egg yolks and vanilla; beat until incorporated.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cream of tartar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients into the butter in stages.

4. Scoop the dough into balls the size of golf balls (about 1 ¾-inch in diameter). Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar. Place on the prepared pans and bake 12-14 minutes, until golden.

5. Remove from the oven and immediately lightly press down on the cookies with a fork to flatten. Sprinkle right away with more of the cinnamon sugar and allow to cool.

MAKES 20 COOKIES