How to Make Snickerdoodles

These cinnamon-sweet cookies are an old-time favorite. They are very easy to make and have a creamy, faintly tangy taste. This recipes makes about five dozen cookies.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups plus 1/2 cup sugars
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup unsalted butters
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon
• 3 eggs

1. Mix cinnamon and 1/2 cup sugar; taste to make sure the cinnamon is not too strong and add more sugar to taste. Reserve.

2. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

3. 

   Combine the remaining 2 cups sugar, vanilla, salt and butter in a bowl and beat until light and fluffy with an electric mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, waiting until the previous egg has been incorporated.

4. 

   Beat in sour cream.

5. 

   Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together and beat into the butter until they are just incorporated.

6. Mix in the walnuts.

7. Roll, press or scoop the batter into balls the size of golf balls or large marbles; size isn't too important, just make sure they're all the same size.

8. 

   Place on cookie sheets spaced well apart.

9. 

   Generously butter the flat bottom of a glass or other flat-bottomed object like a measuring cup or small pan.

10. 

    Press the buttered surface into the cinnamon sugar, then use it to flatten each cookie ball. A layer of cinnamon sugar should stick to the cookie. If not, sprinkle some on. Repeat with all cookies.

11. Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until cookies are puffed and golden and their bases lightly browned.

Tips & Warnings

• The amounts of ingredients in this recipe needs to be fairly precise. Note that both baking powder and baking soda are used. That's because there's a dairy acid in the recipe, in this case sour cream, and whenever dairy acid is present it requires baking soda, not just powder, for the cookie to rise.

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[yellowstar2000]

on 12/1/2009 thanks for the great recipe for snickerdoodles :)

[Spiralina]

on 11/30/2008 Great article. Thanks!

[jadorepeanut5]

on 3/25/2008 The recipe i use doesn't call for sour cream or walnuts. That is quite weird.

[asasser]

on 10/23/2007 I had no idea there was sour cream and walnuts in snickerdoodles. The ones I've had, I don't think had that in them - I'm positive there were no walnuts. My main problem is trying to find out how to bake them so that they stay soft and not crunchy.