Old-Fashioned Snickerdoodles

Big, moist centers, crispy-cinnamony outside. 

Warms the heart and brings back many happy memories...

These cookies are everything you want your snickerdoodle to be, trust me.  This recipe is based on two sources: The Boozy Baker and From Amish and Mennonite Kitchens.  I tweaked both recipes to develop this one as I wanted a really BIG cookie with lots of flavor, a nice rise and a super soft interior.  Give these a try and you won't be disappointed. 

So, what's in a name...

First, the drink...The Old-Fashioned is a cocktail made by muddling dissolved sugar with bitters, then adding whiskey or bourbon and a twist of citrus rind. It is traditionally served in a short, round, tumbler glass.

Second, the cookie...The snickerdoodle is one of the oldest American cookies known.  Snickerdoodles have a cracked surface and can be crisp or soft depending on your preference. Today, the leavening agent is typically baking powder (a combination of cream of tartar and baking soda).  In the old days, the traditional leavening agents were baking soda and cream of tartar.  I use all three. 

Third, the origin...According to The Joy of Cooking (the culinary bible for most...), it states that snickerdoodles probably are German in origin, and that the name is a variant of the German word Schneckennudeln ("snail noodles"), a German pastry.

Can you see the orange zest?  Can you smell the cinnamon? 

Yeah, trust me, these cookies are THAT good!

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Step-by-Step

Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 

Add the eggs. 

Add the bourbon, bitters and orange zest, and beat to combine.  Gradually add the flour mixture until combined.  Refrigerate the dough for up to 30 minutes if it's too soft. 

You want it just to hold together, like this... 

Combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon as directed.  Using a 1 1/2 tbsp amount, roll the dough into balls.  Roll the balls in the sugar-cinnamon mixture.  

Place on the prepared baking sheets.  Press down a bit to flatten slightly.  Fingers work well. 

Bake the cookies as directed, not too long...Remember: too long and they will overcook. 

So simple.  So beautiful.  So snickerdoodle.  

“Old-Fashioned” Snickerdooodles

Adapted from The Boozy Baker by Lucy Baker and From Amish and Mennonite Kitchens by Phyllis Pellman Good and Rachel Thomas Pellman

Makes BIG 36 cookies

Ingredients
3 cups flour (2 3/4 to 3 cups depending on the size of your eggs)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt (regular, not kosher)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp

1 1/2 cups plus 3 tbsp sugar, divided

2 large eggs

2 tbsp Bourbon

4 or 5 dashes bitters

1 tbsp freshly grated orange zest (no substitution)

1 tbsp cinnamon

Directions 

Preheat over to 375 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, soda and salt.  Set aside. 

In a stand mixer, beat the butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy.  About 3 minutes.  Scrape the bowl.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well each time.  Scrape the bowl.  Add the bourbon, bitters and orange zest, and beat to combine.  Gradually add the flour mixture until combined.  If the dough is too soft, refrigerate for up to 30 minutes.  You want it just to hold together. 

Combine the remaining 3 tbsp of sugar and cinnamon in a small, shallow bowl.  Using a #40 scoop (1 1/2 tbsp), roll the dough into balls (about 1 inch) in the palms of your hands.  Roll the balls in the sugar-cinnamon mixture.  Place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.  Press down a bit to flatten slightly.  You can use the bottom of a flat glass.  Fingers work too. 

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until just set and still soft in the middle.  Let sit on the sheet for about a minute or until just firm enough to transfer.  Too long and they will overcook.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store between sheets of wax paper in a container with a tight fitting lid. 

Okay, so I tried the cocktail...Again, I'm sticking to pomegranate cosmopolitans.  Maybe when I'm ~really~ old I will learn to appreciate all-grown up cocktails, like the Old-Fashioned.  For now, I'll take my Old-Fashioned as a cookie.  :)

 Ellen






Today's helper
enjoying a sunny winter day
in California...