Snickerdoodles!

What a fun name for a cookie, huh? I'm not really sure how they got that name though, maybe I'll look it up sometime... Anyways, I'm writing this on my dear husband's computer since there was a little mishap with mine yesterday that may or may not have involved a certain 5 month old. I'm afraid she may have bit the dust. So, sorry no pic with this post.
Yesterday I made a cookie that I've loved for quite some time but have never gotten up the gumption to make. The dough was pretty easy, I just needed one ingredient that I've never had in my cupboard (don't know if I've ever used that word before or not, does it make me sound old?), cream of tartar. And wouldn't you know I went to every other store in town to try to find the cheapest, but alas I had to buy it at the grocery store. At least the spices were on sale this week. The actual baking was a little (and I mean little) more labor intensive than normal drop cookies but in the end I was pretty happy with the results. There are thousands of Snickerdoodle recipes out there so I looked at a couple of different versions both online and in cookbooks that I own. I took the old school route and chose one out of the cookbook that my sister and BIL gave me this past Christmas, The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.
I only altered the recipe in how big I made the dough balls, I used a medium sized Pampered Chef cookie scoop for the size and baking stones to bake. I felt that the recipe was right on with the baking time and when it said to leave the cookies on the baking sheet/stone for 10 after removing from the oven. These were excellent and the recipe also said that you could freeze the dough (batch or balls) or freeze the cookies after baked. Yummers for later!

SNICKERDOODLES

Makes about 2 doz cookies
Prep time: 5 Min
Total time: 35 Min plus cooling time

1 3/4 C sugar
1 T cinnamon
2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 C vegetable shortening
2 large eggs

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine 1/4 C of the sugar and the cinnamon in a shallow dish for coating and set aside. Whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Beat the butter, shortening, and remaining 1 1/2 C sugar together in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 6 min. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, about 30 sec, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed.
3. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly mix in the flour mixture until combined, about 30 sec. Give the dough a final stir with a rubber spatula to make sure it is combined.
4. Using wet hands, roll 2 T of dough at a time into balls, then roll in the cinnamon sugar to coat and lay on two parchment-lined baking sheets, spaced about 2 1/2 in apart. Bake the cookies, one sheet at at a time, until the edges are set and just beginning to brown but the centers are still soft and puffy, 10 to 12 min, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking.
5. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 min, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Enjoy!