Snickerdoodles (Cinnamon-Sugar Cookies)
Classic soft cinnamon-sugar cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar. Makes 40-50 cookies depending on size (4 dark trays). Prep 20 min, dough chilling 1 hour, baking 10-12 min.
Ingredients
| 2 3/4 cups (about 394 g) | white flour | |
| 1/2 tsp | 2.5 ml | salt |
| 2 tsp | 10 ml | baking powder |
| 3/4 cup (about 170 g) | soft unsalted butter at room temperature | |
| 1 1/2 cups (310 g) | plain white sugar | |
| 2 | large eggs | |
| 1 tsp | 5 ml | vanilla essence/extract |
| 1/3 cup (70 g) | white sugar (for rolling) | |
| 3 tsp | 15 ml | ground cinnamon (for rolling) |
Instructions
- In a bowl, put the soft butter and, using a mixer, begin beating slowly until you get a creamy mixture. Add the sugar in stages and beat until it dissolves well. Add the eggs one at a time, beating about 3 minutes after each so the sugar dissolves. Finally add the vanilla essence.
- In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt - stir them to get a uniform mixture. Add a little of the flour to the butter mixture at a time. Finally add all the flour, scrape the sides of the bowl well and stir. (The consistency should be like the cookies from condensed milk.)
- Line two flat trays with baking paper. You can prepare and bake the cookies right away, but so they don't 'spread' on the tray, I put the dough in the fridge for 1 hour to cool and then made and baked them. If you don't want to wait, bake them directly. They won't lose anything of their appearance at all. Between each baking I return the remaining mixture to the fridge so the butter doesn't run too much.
- Take a walnut-sized piece of dough and roll a ball between your palms. In a small bowl, put the sugar and cinnamon and mix them. Roll the ball in the cinnamon sugar and place on the paper. Place the cookies at least 3 cm apart, as they puff up. Bake for about 10-12 minutes at 190°C (170°C). Put the tray in the middle part of the oven when it has heated. You'll know they're done when their edges start to turn caramel-brown and your finger doesn't sink in when touched.
For rolling: cinnamon sugar (below); or purple sugar with lemon coffee flavouring; OR sugar sticks inside the dough, or chocolate chips rolled in whatever; try rolling in sugar pearls - as they melt from the heat they'll become nicely colourful.
*Note: Be careful not to overbake them! Bake really no more than 12 minutes, until the top becomes slightly firm. The inside should remain moist and soft. Don't leave them in the oven even at switched-off degrees; remove them immediately after baking. The oven is hot enough, as is the tray you baked them in, so the baking process doesn't stop but continues. Cool them on a rack.
** Storage: They are ideal for storing in a box with a tightly closed lid. If some remain or you want to keep them for guests over the holidays, you can store them at room temperature for up to 7-10 days.