Baker’s Solstice Countdown: December 10: Snickerdoodles

Here’s another recipe from my mom, that I transcribed as she read it to me over the phone, some time in the distant past. Turns out that, upon closer examination, it came to us by way of Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book, and they, in turn, acknowledge they got the recipe from Mrs. Ronald Anfinson, of Benson, Minnesota. Mrs. Anfinson says it’s a delicious “family cooky”, and well, who am I to argue with her? These are very light, very crunchy, very delicious cookies with just a touch of cinnamon flavor.

I decided to doll them up a little bit for the holidays by using red, green, and gold decorating sugars, in place of the granulated sugar, in the cinnamon sugar the cookies are rolled in before they are baked. If you decide to do this, I recommend increasing the sugar amount to 3 tablespoons, or maybe even 4, and the cinnamon to 3 teaspoons, as I had to stop in the middle of the batch and make more cinnamon sugar.

Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

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

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 deg. F.
2. In a large bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar together at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until light and fluffy again, and scraping down the bowl between each egg. Scrape down the bowl again.
3. In another bowl, mix the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the shortening mixture, a third at a time, mixing and scraping between additions, until everything is thoroughly combined.
4. In a small bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon, and mix well.
5. Roll the cookie dough into balls approximately 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar to coat, then place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes (cookies will puff up, then flatten a bit, but will still be a bit soft when done), remove from oven and allow to rest on the cookie sheet, on a wire rack, for about 1 minute, then remove from cookie sheet to a wire rack to cool completely.