Snickerdoodles

Yesterday was a nice cool fall day. It was the kind of day where you just have to have something baking in the oven filling your house with yummy warm smells. Cinnamon and sugar? Perfect!

Most Snickerdoodle cookies call for cream of tartar and shortening. I was all out of cream of tartar, and always substitute butter for shortening anyway. I was pleasantly surprised when I found Martha Stewart's recipe for snickerdoodles without cream of tartar.

These keep their shape and don't spread out much which means a meatier cookie with a slightly crisp outside and soft inside.

A perfect fall cookie.


Snickerdodles
(from Martha's Holiday Cookies 2005)

makes about 20 (or 40, if you make the balls very small)

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs

2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Put butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture.

2. Stir together cinnamon and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into 20 (1 3/4-inch) balls; roll in cinnamon sugar. Space 3 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

3. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes.