Monday, January 23, 2012

Best Snickerdoodles of All Time

I would like to eat all of these. Now. 
In the Fierce household, scattered as it is these days across continents and time zones, there are a few minor differences in palates.  The eldest Fierce Child, he will eat whatever it is as long as he didn't have to make it himself.  You can see C Fierce's preferences for yourself.  It's probably no surprise that I used to claim onion allergies to avoid picking them out of everything put in front of me (now I just try to cook for myself). The one thing we can all agree on, with the exception of The Youngest Fierce, is dessert. As long as it's there, we're happy.


Sometimes though, the rest of us aren't convinced The Youngest Fierce is one of us. He has this thing.... it's not something I can relate to, and I probably wouldn't believe it were possible if I hadn't grown up with him: He doesn't like sweets.

Young Fierce (good rap name huh - I just checked, already in use) doesn't want to stop and pick up a cinnamon roll. He doesn't need to go down the bakery aisle. He doesn't put jam on a piece of bread and call it dessert if there's nothing else. He doesn't eat chocolate chips right out of the bag, not that I do, or am right now. He didn't even eat a slice of all four pies at Thanksgiving. He doesn't need dessert. He doesn't hoard enough ice cream in his freezer to open his own shop or beg for pies to be sent cross-continent. I would be willing to bet that he doesn't even put sugar in his Dunkin Donuts coffee. 

Anyway, there was a graduation gift I hadn't sent him (it's only been a year and a half) and I thought, well I can't send it by itself. I better put some really awesome brownies in there. He didn't sound thrilled. FIIIIIINE, what do you want? And he suggested snickerdoodles. So, I texted my resident snickerdoodle afficiando, my boss, and within the hour I had his mother's snickerdoodle recipe in my inbox. I have never made snickerdoodles before. They aren't something I pick at the bakery - if I'm not making it, I want something really labor intensive, like the chocolate eclairs from this wonderful place. There better be sweat in those eclairs. I don't want to taste it unless its sugar and cocoa sweat, but it better be in there. 

I looked at the recipe and decided it wasn't enough for my brother and ten classmates (end of semester festivities, yes, this happened a long time ago). I decided to double it and change a few things. Turns out by my measures, I made 6 dozen 3 inch cinnamon-rolled cookie deliciousness.  Seventy Four cookies to be exact. That's plenty. And if you're wondering, my brother liked the ten he received so much that he dedicated an entire solo Facebook post to celebrate them. It went something like this:" slammin on some of the best snickerdoodles of all time, some of the best snickerdoodles of all time." Young Fierce in the house.


Best Snickerdoodles of All Time
adapted from Nick's Mom's recipe
yield: 6 dozen cookies: 72 cookies and some change.


Ingredients
1 cup shortening
1 cup butter
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
5 1/2 cups flour
4 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
For rolling: 3/8 cup sugar + 2 1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon


Method
Cream together butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down between additions if your mixer is like mine, not as OCD as me.
Whisk together the dry ingredients and add them to the butter sugar mixture until just combined. Some people like to refrigerate the dough here, but I didn't find it necessary. I used a dough baller and that worked just fine.
Roll into 1" balls, roll into cinnamon sugar mixture.
Bake at 350, spaced 2 inches apart on cookie sheets for 10-12 minutes. 

3 comments:

  1. These look amazing! All of your cookies do. I think I may have to try out a recipe or two! Thanks for posting.

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  2. Not usually a snickerdoodle person...But if J. Fierce says they are the best, then they must certainly be the best.

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  3. Um for the record I want those pies sent trans-pacific, not cross-continent.

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