What Is A Snickerdoodle Cookie?
Where sugar cookies are hard and crunchy, snickerdoodle cookies are soft and chewy. The main difference between snickerdoodles and sugar cookies is one key ingredient: cream of tartar.
So what exactly is a snickerdoodle cookie? The origin of this funny-sounding cookie is disputed. The Joy of Cooking says it comes from the German word “Schneckennudel”, a variety of a “schnecken” or cinnamon bun, while others claim it comes from the Amish Dutch word “snekrad”, meaning snail dumpling. But what everyone agrees on is that it is a soft and chewy cookie with a slightly tangy flavor thanks to the cream of tartar, with a crackly top and crispy edges, and of course a cinnamon sugar topping.
Snickerdoodles are a much loved cookie especially around the holiday time. The smell of cinnamon infuses the house with a festive atmosphere, and many associate cinnamon flavors with autumn and the changing of the season.
Whether you’re a chocolate chip cookie lover or an oatmeal raisin cookie aficionado, try the snickerdoodle and it just might become your new favorite.
How To Make Snickerdoodle Cookies
Snickerdoodles are fun cookies to make with kids, and are so simple to make. These cookies are often mistaken for sugar cookies because they share many of the same basic ingredients: butter or oil, sugar, eggs, flour, salt, baking soda. But snickerdoodles have the distinct addition of cream of tartar, and are rolled in cinnamon sugar before baking. While there are different styles and methods to making snickerdoodle cookies, the basics are the same.
To make snickerdoodle cookies, you’ll want to first cream the butter and sugar together, then add the eggs. Mix in the dry ingredients- flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Once the dough is formed, form into balls and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. To get the best cinnamon flavor, roll each ball twice for a double coating.
Next, bake them at a high temperature- 400 degrees as opposed to the standard 350 for most cookies. The reason for this is that the high temperature activates the leavening agents fast, creating a puffy center. When they come out of the oven the center will fall, giving them a cakey chewy center with crispy edges. Baking time varies, but approximately 9-11 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to crisp. It is best to remove them from the oven slightly underdone, as the cookies will continue to bake on the hot cookie sheet and you don’t want your cookies to be overdone.
Notes on cream of tartar:
Cream of tartar acts as a leavening agent along with the baking soda. Besides helping the cookies rise, cream of tartar gives snickerdoodles its signature crackly top and chewy center. Cream of tartar is a stabilizer and prevents sugar from crystallizing, which makes hard and crunchy cookies, and instead keeps the cookies soft and chewy. Cream of tartar is also acidic which gives the cookies their unique tangy flavor, like using buttermilk or sour cream in a recipe.
Because cream of tartar is one of the most important ingredients in snickerdoodle cookies, it is not recommended to omit it. However, if you don’t have it on hand or don’t want to use it, you can make snickerdoodle cookies without cream of tartar, but the taste and texture will be altered. You won’t get the nice tangy flavor or the chewy and crackly texture.
Recipe Tips:
- Use vanilla extract in your recipe for added flavor.
- It is best to use eggs at room temperature, so be sure to take them out to sit before making the dough.
- Cut the butter into squares first to make it easier to work with.
- Some recipes call for shortening which has no water content, while butter contains about 20% water, but you can make the recipe with or without shortening and it won’t affect the texture of the cookies.
- Refrigerate the dough for 20-30 minutes before using to make it easier to work with.
- Flatten or indent the cookies with your hand or a spoon before baking to get a beautiful crackling top.
If you enjoy baking with kids, pick an easy snickerdoodle recipe and turn it into a Sunday Funday activity.
The Snickerdoodle Cookie Baking Kit
To make it easier for you to get the delicious snickerdoodle cookies from your hand to your mouth, Baketivity created a caramel snickerdoodle cookie kit so you can have easy homemade snickerdoodles in just a few quick steps. Caramel is a delicious flavor that pairs nicely with cinnamon for a snickerdoodle cookie with a twist.
The baking box comes with the dry ingredients you’ll need to make the snickerdoodles, and you’ll only need to get the wet ingredients: butter, eggs, and heavy cream.
Baketivity baking kits for kids are a fun mess-free easy prep activity for kids that is entertaining, delicious, and educational. Each kit contains a fun educational game or activity to do while the cookies are baking.
The best part about the diy snickerdoodle cookie kit is that it helps kids learn valuable kitchen skills while being in charge of their own recipe. The instructions included in the kit are easy to follow, and kids can easily make snickerdoodle cookies from scratch with minimal adult supervision.
Get a children’s baking kit as a gift for someone you know who loves to bake, or as an after school activity for the whole family to make together.
Can You Freeze Snickerdoodle Cookies?
Freezing snickerdoodles is a great idea especially with lots of holiday parties and family get-togethers coming up. It is so easy to have freshly baked cookies in minutes by making ahead and freezing.
How can you freeze snickerdoodle cookies for the freshest tasting cookie? You can freeze them either raw or baked.
To freeze raw dough:
Freeze the dough without the cinnamon sugar topping. After forming the dough, shape into balls and place spaced out on a plate or a parchment lined cookie sheet. Freeze the dough balls for 30 minutes or until they are easy to handle, then store them in an airtight container or a freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
When ready to bake, there is no need to thaw the dough. Just roll the balls into cinnamon sugar twice, then bake on a cookie sheet in a preheated oven at 400 degrees. When baking from frozen, add an additional 2-3 minutes of baking time.
To freeze already baked snickerdoodle cookies, cool completely after baking. If the cookies are even slightly warm, the heat will cause condensation and the cookies will get soggy or taste freezer burnt. Store cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, you can thaw them in the fridge overnight and then let them stand on the counter for a few hours before eating, or just thaw the cookies from the freezer for 15 minutes. You can also eat the cookies straight from the freezer for a delicious chilled chewy treat.
Now that you’ve learned all about the delicious snickerdoodle cookie, will you be making this treat anytime soon? Let us know in the comments!
