New York Times Snickerdoodle Recipes

GINGERBREAD SNICKERDOODLES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, molasses, and 1 cup sugar on medium speed until creamy and smooth, scraping bowl occasionally. With machine running, add eggs and beat until incorporated, scraping bowl occasionally. Turn speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture and beat until just incorporated. (You can make the dough by hand, too: In a large bowl, beat butter, molasses and sugar with a wooden spoon until creamy and smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. While stirring with the spoon, gradually add flour mixture and stir until no traces of flour remain.)
• Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. In medium bowl, mix remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Portion 3/4-ounce (1 1/2 tablespoons) dough by packing dough level into a 3/4-ounce cookie scoop or scooping a rounded ball in a measuring tablespoon. Drop into the cinnamon sugar and roll to coat. Put on a prepared sheet. Repeat with dough and cinnamon sugar, spacing balls 2 inches apart, until sheet is filled.
• Bake until tops crackle and bottoms are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake; the cookies should look dry and set. While first batch bakes, scoop and roll remaining dough, then bake after first batch comes out. Cool completely on sheets on wire racks.

EGGNOG SNICKERDOODLES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar and baking soda, and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, 1 3/4 cups sugar and the salt on medium-high until very smooth and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl, return the mixer to medium speed and add the egg and egg yolks, incorporating each before adding the next. Add the rum extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to beat for another minute or two.
• Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined. (You may want to start by "pulsing" the flour, so that it doesn't go everywhere.) Set the dough aside to hydrate for about 10 minutes while you prepare to bake.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Make the nutmeg-sugar mixture by combining the remaining 1/4 cup/50 grams sugar with the nutmeg in a small bowl.
• Roll the dough into balls, each one the size of a golf ball or about 45 grams, then roll each dough ball in the nutmeg-sugar. Transfer the balls to the baking sheets, about 2 inches apart, and bake 10 to 13 minutes, rotating pans and switching racks halfway through, until slightly puffed and just set.
• Let the cookies cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. These cookies are even better the day after they're made, and will keep for 4 days sealed in an airtight container.

SNICKERDOODLES I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Stir in the eggs. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until well blended. In a small bowl, stir together the 2 tablespoons of sugar, and the cinnamon. Roll dough into walnut sized balls, then roll the balls in the cinnamon-sugar. Place them onto an unprepared cookie sheet, two inches apart.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be slightly brown. Remove from sheets to cool on wire racks.

PEANUT BUTTER BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• Sift together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, peanut butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and light brown sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat until well blended. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing thoroughly. If the dough is very soft, refrigerate for about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray, oil or line a cookie sheet with nonstick liner and set aside. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. (For a precise number of cookies, divide the dough into 5 pieces, and shape each piece into 12 balls.)
• Roll cookies in sugar and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake until very light brown and puffed, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove sheet from oven and lightly press a candy kiss into center of each cookie, allowing it to crack slightly. Return to oven until light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oven, cool completely and store in an airtight container.