Snickerdoodles

Cinnamon and sugar coat these sweet cookies. Snickerdoodles are very similar to your basic sugar cookie, only you don't have to go to the arduous trouble of rolling out and cutting dough. 

And although the name has the word "snicker" in it, there are no broken pieces of the popular candy bar in here, just good ole' fashion ingredients like butter, sugar, flour, etc. So where did the funny name come from you ask? Well, here is what I found on wikipedia: The Joy of Cooking claims that snickerdoodles are probably German in origin, and that the name is a corruption of the German wordSchneckennudeln (lit. "snail noodles"), a kind of pastry. A different author suggests that the word "snicker" comes from the German word Schnecke, which describe a snail shape. Yet another hypothesis suggests that the name has no particular meaning or purpose and is simply a whimsically named cookie that originated from a New England tradition of fanciful cookie names.

Personally I think I will just stick with the name being whimsical in nature and having nothing to do with snails. Either way, they are an easy cookie to make and will produce many a smile. Enjoy!


Snickerdoodles
Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens
Pictures by Caroline
Yields about 30-36 cookies


1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

1. In a medium mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally . Beat in eff and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Sitre in any remaining flour. Cover and chill dough about 1 hour or until easy to handle.
2. Combine the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Rolls balls in sugar-cinnamon mixture to coat. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375º oven for 10-11 minutes or until edges are golden. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.