Description
These Best Snickerdoodles are classic soft and chewy cinnamon-sugar cookies with a perfect crackly surface. Featuring a balanced mix of butter and shortening, and coated in a generous amount of cinnamon sugar, these cookies bake up tender with slightly crisp edges. Perfect for sharing and ideal for a cozy treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2¾ cups Bob’s Red Mill Organic All-Purpose Flour (374 grams)
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar (7 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (6 grams)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable shortening (92 grams, ½ stick)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (113 grams, 1 stick)
- 2 large eggs (100 grams)
- 2 cups iced water (454 grams)
Other
- 2½ cups granulated sugar (500 grams), divided
- ¼ cup ground cinnamon (36 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pans: Preheat the oven to 375°F and line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and kosher salt. Set this mixture aside for later use.
- Cream Fats and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the vegetable shortening and unsalted butter together for 30 seconds. Add 1½ cups of the sugar and beat the mixture until it becomes lighter in color and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
- Add Eggs: Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing just until each is incorporated to maintain the dough’s tender texture.
- Combine Flour Mixture: Add the dry flour mixture all at once to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Mix on low speed just until no flour is visible, being careful not to overwork the dough to avoid toughness.
- Set Up Coating Station: Create a workspace with a bowl of cinnamon mixed with the remaining 1 cup of sugar, a bowl of iced water, and a folded paper towel next to the water for excess moisture absorption.
- Form Dough Balls: Gently roll 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball, dip it into the iced water, briefly place it on the paper towel to absorb excess water, then roll it in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart (8 per sheet).
- Bake Cookies: Bake on the middle rack at 375°F for 10–12 minutes, rotating the sheets after 6 minutes for even baking. The cookies are done when edges are set and slightly browned, with soft, cracked centers that look slightly undercooked.
- Cool Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5–8 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Do not overmix the dough once the flour is added to keep the cookies tender.
- Dipping the dough balls in iced water before rolling in cinnamon sugar helps the coating stick and creates a slightly crisp exterior.
- Rotate baking sheets halfway through baking to ensure even cooking.
- Cookies appear slightly undercooked in the center when done but will firm up as they cool.
- Use parchment paper to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
- Cookie spacing should be about 2 inches to allow for spreading.
