Snickerdoodles

I’ve never seen this recipe posted anywhere, which shocks the heck out of me because these cookies are delicious.  I got the recipe at Land Pioneer Village, when I worked there as a costumed interpreter.  Unfortunately, an electric or gas overn can’t replicate the particularly delicious flavour that a cast-iron, wood-burning overn imparts (I learned to tell the temperature based on how quickly my arm felt like it was burning when I stuck in inside), but they’re still pretty good.  I’m pretty certain that this is not a very authentic pioneer recipe (that’s rather a lot of fine sugar and butter to be wasting in backwoods Upper Canada), but I gather that it was popular from at least the early 20th century until maybe the 70s or so, when people stopped baking from scratch and started to use mixes (gross).

Easy, easy delicious cookies.  You can whip up a whole batch and have them cooling on the kitchen counter within an hour or so.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons granulated white suger
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons crean of tartar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1.  Pre-heat oven to 400 F

2.  Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.

3.  Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar in a medium bowl; set aside.

4.  Cream butter, gradually add 1 1/2 cups sugar; beat well.

5. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.

6. Stir in flour mixture; beat well.

7.  Shape dough into 1″ balls; roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Place 2″ apart on baking sheets.

8.  Bake for 6 minutes or so until lightly browned (the difference between a burnt Snickerdoodle and an uncooked Snickerdoodle seems to be a matter of seconds, so keep a weather eye on them).