Ah the Snickerdoodle, it’s so much more than just a cookie with a fun name, to me, they are a transport to a memory I will cherish forever. Growing up, both my Mom and Dad worked so during the day I was taken care of by one of the most wonderful women that ever lived, my Margie.
I had the fortune and blessing to be carefully watched from infancy to grade school by Margie, who at the time she started taking care of me was a 65 year old, 4 foot 11 widow with beauty and sass. You would have never known her age as she kept up with me running around and continued to do so with the other kids in our family for years to come. Margie was originally from Astoria, New York and the picture of an Italian grandmother. From the day we met she just knew, and I later learned, that we would be the best of friends.
Growing up with Margie meant we spent a lot of time in the kitchen. A grand Italian cook, Margie was famous for everything from red sauce and meatballs to pasta, but most special to my heart were her Snickerdoodles. As a kid I would light up when it was time to make these, my job was to roll the dough in between the palms of my hands and roll them in the cinnamon and sugar. There was something about these crunchy yet chewy cookies that made me smile. To this day they hold such a sweet spot in my heart, i’m not sure if it’s because they taste that good or I just love the memories, but either way, if you’ve ever tried one you know they are special.
It’s been almost a year since Margie passed away, but even in her nineties Margie was a pistol and kept on cooking. Looking back I know it was her who inspired my passion for cooking and I will continue to cook to keep her memory alive. I sincerely regret never writing down her recipe for Snickerdoodles, but I believe I found one that comes in a close second. My girlfriend’s and I are doing a cookie exchange tomorrow and I knew these would be the perfect addition.
So at eleven o’clock on this Wednesday night I am finally finished baking and just sat down to enjoy my first Snickerdoodle and a cold glass of milk and I must say, I think Margie would be proud 
Snickerdoodles
(adapted from Mrs. Sigg’s Snickerdoodles found on allrecipes.com)
Makes 4 dozen 2 bite cookies, or 3 dozen regular size cookies
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons white sugar
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
- Using a hand mixer (or stand mixer if you have one) cream together butter and shortening in a mixing bowl until they become light and fluffy.
- Add in 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs, and the vanilla and blend together.
- Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until well combined.
- In a small bowl mix together the remaining sugar and cinnamon, set aside.
- Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls and roll in the palm of your hand.
- Roll balls of dough in sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Bake 8 minutes exactly, rotating the baking tray once at 4 minutes. Remove immediately from baking sheets and let cool on wire rack.
Important things to keep in mind when making Snickerdoodles:
- Make sure your baking soda and cream of tartar are fresh and not expired. If they are old you will end up with flat cookies.
- Spray a little cooking spray on your hands to roll the dough into balls, it prevents it from getting sticky.
- If you are making the full 4 dozen cookies, pop the dough in the fridge as you wait in between batches to ensure it doesn’t get too soft. If it gets soft it will become hard to roll and will clump together in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Mine cooked perfectly at 8 minutes on the nose, don’t let them sit in there any longer or they will get hard.
Tara O'Keeffe