Baking the Ultimate Snickerdoodle Cookie from Scratch
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
All-purpose flour: 2 3/4 cups
Eggs: 2 large
Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon
Salt: 1/4 teaspoon
Unsalted butter: 1 cup (2 sticks), softened
Cream of tartar: 2 teaspoons
Baking soda: 1 teaspoon
Granulated sugar: 1 1/2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons for rolling
For the Cinnamon-Sugar Coating:
Granulated sugar: 1/4 cup
Ground cinnamon: 2 tablespoons
Instructions
Preheat the Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Combine Dry Ingredients:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Cream Butter and Sugar:
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the softened butter and 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. This should take about 2-3 minutes.
Add Eggs and Vanilla:
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract, mixing until well combined.
Mix Dry Ingredients into Butter Mixture:
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until the dough comes together.
Prepare Cinnamon-Sugar Coating:
In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and the ground cinnamon.
Shape and Coat the Cookies:
Use a cookie scoop or spoon to form balls of dough, about 1 tablespoon in size. Roll each ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until well coated.
Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Bake:
Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers are still soft. The cookies will puff up during baking and flatten as they cool.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
