Snickerdoodles 2 ways! Part 1

Let me just start off by saying I love having the new comments on my blogs. I'm glad my blog is starting to get around. In my last blog post about my In N Out Burger, I had a comment from lfmelcher. She asked if I could post the recipe of the cookies in my header. Of course!!

The cookies in my header are actually snickerdoodles. I've tried many snickerdoodle recipes and each one is always a bit different. I have a short story to share which brings me to the cookies. My boyfriend is currently in Iraq finishing up what has been started several years ago. He will be there for a full year, next April. I couldn't wait to get his address so I could start sending him baked goods and anything else he needed. Since the weather in Iraq is 120 degree PLUS as of now sending him things with chocolate in them will be a complete mess. So I spent sometime researching on what to send and gathering many recipes that did not include chocolate that could melt. I searched online on what care packages should contain, and I also searched for some cookie cookbooks! I wanted to make sure I would have enough variety when sending him packages.

That is when I found The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion: The Essential Cookie Cookbook. I read the reviews off of Amazon.com, and I saw the great price. Without hesitation I bought the cookbook and haven't regret it since! I recommend you buy this cookbook as well if you haven't already. It is a very informative book when it comes to baking! When I got my book I couldn't believe the size of it, like one of my business textbooks I had in college, but this one was way better! I immeditately started marking all the cookies I could make my boyfriend. I know some of his favorites I won't be able to send till the weather is much cooler in Iraq but I know he really likes snickerdoodles!

The King Arthur snickerdoodles were light on cinnamon flavor and had a slight crunch on the outside and chew in the middle. I would add more cinnamon to the coating next time because I expected it to be a bit stronger since it a snickerdoodle. I also used ounces for some of the ingredients to get a more exact measurement and make sure my cookies came out perfect. This recipe does call for shortening, which I'm not a huge fan of but I think it helps make the cookie light and melt in your mouth with chewiness and the slight crunch on the outside. Just make sure it is trans fat free! Plus it makes a longer shelf life for the cookie since I'm shipping it thousands of miles away. I'm going to post the recipe, but I recommend you also purchase the KA Flour Cookie Companion!  

Snickerdoodles from KA Cookie Companion  
Ingredients  

Dough:
1/2 cup (3 1/4 ounces) vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups (11 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour  

Coating:
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Yield: 7 dozen cookies

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
• To make the dough: In a medium- sized bowl, cream together the shortening, butter, sugar, vanilla, and baking powder, beating until smooth. Add the eggs, again beating until smooth, stopping to scrape the bowl once. Add the salt and flour, mixing slowly until combined.
• To make the coating: Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a shallow bowl (or in a large plastic bag).
• Using a cookie scoop or your fingers, dip out 1 level tablespoon of dough (a teaspoon cookie scoop, generously filled, works well here) and roll it into a ball. Place the ball in the bowl or bag of cinnamon sugar. When you've got five or six dough balls in the sugar, gently shake them until they're completely coated. Place them on the prepared baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a glass, flatten each cookie to about 1/2 inch thick. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Bake the cookies for 8 minutes, or until they're golden brown around the edges. Remove them from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool.

I loved making these cookies because they are so simple! I packed them up in plastic wrap and in ziplock bags making sure they would stay fresh for my boyfriend. I hear putting in a piece of bread keeps them fresher, so I'm going to try this for the next package. This recipe makes a lot of cookies. You can also freeze the dough balls and bake them as you want fresh cookies!

The cinnamon adhered very lightly.
 

This is part 1 of my snickerdoodles 2 ways post. Please let me know how you like the cookie when you make it, and if you made any adjustments from the original recipe! As you can see, I also made a batch of chocolate snickerdoodles that are in the picture. I found this recipe on Cookie Madness. I will post part 2 later on. I'm house sitting this week so I must go feed the dog, go to the gym, and then I have another baby shower this afternoon. At least this time I'm not the one hosting it, I'm a guest. YAY!!!

Yay for the weekend,
Fallon