The following recipe and excerpt for Snickerdoodle Cookies are from “CRUMBS: Cookies & Sweets from Around the World” by Ben Mims. It’s available for purchase on Amazon.
These chewy cinnamon-sugar cookies are likely an evolution of a number of baking trends from the late 1800s. For example, the Moravian settlers of Nazareth, Pennsylvania—who had a hand in giving us the American sugar cookie—made what they called “Nazareth sugar cakes.” These resembled an American cinnamon bun dough that was pressed into a pan and topped with a cinnamon-sugar filling, instead of being rolled up. Then there were, Schneckennudel, or “snail buns,” which are German yeasted sweet breads that resemble modern cinnamon rolls and were often made with raisins and nuts laced with cinnamon. Some old references to the name “Snickerdoodles” describe a “sweet biscuit” made with raisins that was a specialty of the Pennsylvania Dutch, pointing to the likely naming quagmire that caused bakers, over many decades of playing the telephone game, to mishear schneckennudel as “snickerdoodle.”
At the same time, Scandinavian “sand tarts” were also being made with their topping of cinnamon-sugar (though they were distinctly crispy, brittle cookies). It’s most likely that all of these baked goods combined and evolved in the slow march of time over the decades to become the Snickerdoodle cookie of today. Whereas modern sugar cookies took on a new life with baking powder, the Snickerdoodle retained its vintage detail of mixing cream of tartar with baking soda (bicarb), to give the cookies their spread-out, cracked top that has become their defining characteristic in appearance and flavor (with the cinnamon-sugar coating).
Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
Instructions
- Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C/Gas Mark 6). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda (bicarb), and salt.
- In a large bowl, with a hand mixer, combine 11/2 cups (300 g) sugar and the butter and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and stir until a dough forms and there are no dry patches of flour remaining.
- In a small bowl, mix together the remaining 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar with the cinnamon to make cinnamon-sugar. Using a 1-ounce (2-tablespoon) ice cream scoop, portion the dough and roll into balls. Roll the dough balls in the cinnamon-sugar to coat and then arrange them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced at least 3 inches (7.5 cm) apart. Using the palm of your hand or the bottom of a drinking glass, flatten each dough ball into a disc 1/2 inch (13 mm) thick.
- Bake until lightly golden brown at the edges and just dry to the touch in the center, 10–12 minutes, switching racks and rotating the baking sheets front to back halfway through.
- Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks. Let the cookies cool on the pans for 1 minute, then transfer them to the racks to cool completely.