Peppercorn Press

It's Sugar and Cinnamon that MAKE a Snickerdoodle

When I was a child cookies were my favorite treat.  Mom would always keep the cookie jar filled with my favorites — I was her “cookie monster.”  Even now, as an adult, when we have recipes for many wonderful desserts, I will still choose a cookie for a treat or dessert if I have a choice.  One of my favorites to have this time of year (even though I suppose they are not technically a Christmas cookie), is a Snickerdoodle.  There is something festive about their sugar and cinnamon topping that seems to fit.

I can remember vividly singing Christmas carols with the lights of our Christmas
tree flickering in the background while we made these cookies.  After all
these years I think now that this memory has been one of the best Christmas
gifts my Mom has ever given me.  

This is such a wonderful memory for me that I felt I had to share her recipe with you.

Ingredients

1 cup butter flavor shortening

1 ¼  cups sugar

¼ cup light brown sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

2 large eggs at room temperature

2 ¾ cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon table salt

4 tablespoons sugar

4 teaspoons cinnamon

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cream together shortening, 1 ¼ cups sugar, brown sugar and vanilla.  Mix in the eggs.  In a separate bowl sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.  Slowly incorporate all of the flour mixture into the egg mixture.  In a small bowl stir together the remaining sugar and the cinnamon.  Form cookie dough into 1” to 1 ½” balls.  Gently roll dough balls in sugar/cinnamon mixture to coat one half of the ball.  Place balls  sugar side up on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly on the cookie sheet before moving to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Makes about 60 delicious mouth-watering cookies.