Snickerdoodle

Well, if you haven't fallen in love with these little babies just by their adorable name (snickerdoodle!) then you definitely will once you've tasted them. These soft cookies are of German origin and known for its cracked cinnamon-sugar surface.

Did you know: What's in a name? The term "snickerdoodles" apparently was the mispronunciation of the German name "schneckennudeln" (or snail dumpling) for this pastry.

My first snickedoodle encounter was during a visit to New York City's iconic bakery, Magnolia, a few years ago. After just one bite, I made it my mission to find and master the recipe so my family and friends in Vancouver could enjoy these cookies as well.

Guess, what I did! I found the snickerdoodle recipe in the More from Magnolia cookbook by Allysa Torey, the original owner of Magnolia. I highly recommend that you add this to your cookbook repertoire (if you haven't done so already) as it's one of my favorite cookbooks because it features 74 classic baking recipes that made Allysa's Greenwich Village bakery world famous.

Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (room temperature)
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 2 tbsp milk (room temperature)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp sugar mixed with 2 tsp cinnamon (for sprinkling)

Preparation:
1. In a small bowl. combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until smooth (about 2 minutes). Add eggs, milk and vanilla and beat well. 3. Add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Drop the rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake for 12-14 minutes.
6. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe adapted from More from Magnolia