Soft and chewy Classic Snickerdoodles – no chill time required!

Snickerdoodles were my childhood favorite cookie, and they are still among my top ten (a close competitor with Chocolate Chip Cookies and Molasses Cookies).  In my kid mind, there was no other that could compare to the beauty of a warm Snickerdoodle.

I have one particularly distinct memory of standing in my grandma’s old kitchen, “helping” her make a batch of these cookies.  (I’m pretty sure that my helping consisted of rolling the cookie dough balls in the cinnamon and sugar after she did everything else.)

Jump to Recipe!

It’s been a little while since I baked some Snickerdoodles, and when I mixed these up yesterday, one bite sent me back to her kitchen and the sound of my grandpa hammering away at some wooden boards in the background.  (I think he was starting to add on to the house at the time.  Strange, the things we remember.)  My uncle was helping him out, and stopped by the kitchen to swipe some of the cookie dough.  I’m pretty sure I fussed at him a little for taking some of my favorite cookies before they were even baked!  How dare him…  (That was before I discovered the wonders of raw cookie dough.)

Snickerdoodles have a reputation for being finicky little cookies.  As in, sometimes they turn out perfectly, and other times they just fall flat.  Then you’re left scratching your head trying to figure out why they look great on one occasion and not another.  “I didn’t do anything differently!”

Unfortunately, with baking, sometimes that just happens.  There are days when I put together a baked good I’ve made 100 times and it just doesn’t look right for whatever reason.  (I know that’s not exactly helpful; sorry.)

With this recipe, though, I have never had a problem with flat cookies.  They come out perfectly soft, chewy, and puffy.  Here are a few tips that have helped me:

1.  This recipe doesn’t require chilling, BUT if you’re baking cookies on a hot day and it’s very warm in your house, I would suggest chilling the dough in the refrigerator briefly before baking.  You may find that the extra warmth contributes to flat. spreading cookies.
2.  Measure the ingredients carefully.  There are some foods where you can get away with your measurements being slightly off, but these cookies are not one of them.  If your ratio of wet to dry is wrong, that could cause a cookietastrophe.  (See what I did there?)  *insert collective groan from audience*
3.  If you don’t have cream of tartar on hand, leave it AND the baking soda out and use three teaspoons of baking powder instead.  (I have tried it, with success.)  Keep in mind that there will be a slight difference in taste.
4.  Don’t over-bake these cookies!  They should be removed from the oven when they are turning golden at the edges and the center is just set, and then taken off the cookie sheets immediately to cool on wire racks.  That will make for soft, chewy cookies instead of hard, crispy ones.

Look at that cookie.  Snickerdoodle perfection!

~K in the Kitchen