Snickerdoodles are amongst the top most popular cookies, at least here in the US, and for good reason. They’re warm, cozy, chewy, just the right balance of sugar and spice, what’s not to love? Now, it’s a bit of a mystery where the name for snickerdoodle cookies came from. Some speculate that it’s derived from the German word “Schneckennudel,” a pastry most closely resembling a cinnamon bun that literally translates to “snail noodle.” The two words do sound alike, and both pastries include cinnamon, but for now it’s just a theory.
What we do know for certain is that the first documented recipe for snickerdoodles wasn’t actually a batch of cookies, it was a cake! Specifically a simple yellow cake, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar on top and cut into bars, dating back to 1889. It wasn’t until 1895 when AA Cookbook published a recipe for the cookies we all know and love snickerdoodles to be today.
We also know for certain that snickerdoodles are delicious, and my brown sugar snickerdoodle recipe is no exception. It does have a slight twist on this nostalgic classic, though. The brown sugar adds a bit more dimension than the standard sugar cookie dough used, and the cinnamon in the dough balances the sweet to spicy ratio much better, in my humble opinion. Not a major deviation from the original, just a bit more umph!
FAQs and Science
Why swap granulated sugar found in a traditional snickerdoodle recipe for brown sugar?
There are a few reasons I did this! For one thing, brown sugar adds a bit more depth of flavor than granulated sugar. Brown sugar also makes for a chewier cookie in the end, so in my book, it was a no-brainer.
Is it really necessary to chill the dough?
Yes, it is. Cold cookie dough is easier to work with, is more flavorful, and results in thicker cookies after baking.
Does using melted butter rather than softened butter change the dough at all?
Liquid fat in cookie dough makes for a chewier cookie, just like brown sugar does. Plus, you don’t need any fancy or expensive equipment like a stand mixer to successfully prepare cookies using melted butter, as there’s no need to cream the butter and sugar together.
Why does making the eggs room temperature matter? Is there a way to do that quickly?
When all of the ingredients are the same temperature, it makes emulsifying the dough much easier. Baking is chemistry, after all. But there’s no need to leave the eggs out for hours to warm them up. Simply place them in a bowl at the beginning of the recipe and cover them with the hottest water that comes out of your tap. By the time you’re ready to add the eggs, they’ll be at the perfect temperature.
What You’ll Need
- 2 baking sheets
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- Plastic wrap
- Dry measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Medium mixing bowl
- Large mixing bowl
- Small dish
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Cookie scoop (optional)
- Spatula
- Cooling rack
The Process
Start off by getting the pans the cookies will bake on ready. Line two baking sheets with either parchment paper or silicone baking mats, whichever you prefer. Set them aside and begin working on the dough.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and salt together in a medium sized mixing bowl. Yes, it makes a difference to whisk the dry goods together beforehand when baking. Whisking breaks up large clumps of flour, and evenly distributes the dry ingredients together. No pockets of salt or spice in these cookies!
Onto the wet ingredients. In a large, heat safe mixing bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Alternatively, if the microwave isn’t an option, just melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat on the stove, then transfer the melted butter over to the bowl. Add the brown sugar, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Whisk it all until the mixture is smoothed out and thoroughly combined.
Dump the dry goods all at once onto the wet mixture. Stir the two together using either a rubber spatula or large spoon, until the dough forms. Stop stirring as soon as all of the flour has been absorbed, to prevent accidentally over-mixing the dough. Over-mixed dough makes for tough cookies, not exactly scrumptious. Cover the completed dough with plastic wrap to chill for a minimum of 1 hour, or up to 2 days.
While the snickerdoodle dough is in the fridge, preheat the oven to 350F, on the convection setting if possible. Position the rack in the middle of the oven. Grab a small dish and whisk together the granulated sugar and the Tablespoon of ground cinnamon.
When the dough is ready to bake, remove it from the fridge. Scoop out ten 2-Tablespoon portions for the first lined pan. Shape each portion of dough into a ball, then roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar to coat.
Space the cookies 1-2 inches apart on the baking sheet and bake them for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown, flipping halfway through.
Allow the cookies a few minutes to rest on the hot pan after they come out of the oven. Hot, freshly baked cookies don’t have much in the way of structural integrity, so if you don’t give them that few minutes after coming out, you risk them falling apart on you. Once they’ve had that few minutes though, transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to finish coming down to room temperature.
When the cookies have come as close to room temperature as you have the patience to wait for, serve them up with a glass of milk and enjoy! Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to two days.
Brown Sugar Snickerdoodles
Bake Time: 350F for 12-14 minutes
Servings: 30 cookies
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Prep Time: 35 Minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 16 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
Directions
- Line two baking sheets with either parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set them aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and salt. Put the dry goods aside until they’re needed.
- In a large, heat-safe mixing bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Add the brown sugar, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Whisk them together until the mixture becomes smooth and homogeneous.
- Dump the dry goods into the wet mixture. Using a rubber spatula, stir the two mixtures together until the dough comes together, leaving no streaks of flour behind.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge to chill for a minimum of 1 hour, or up to two days. While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 350F, positioning the rack in the center of the oven.
- Whisk together the granulated sugar and 1 Tablespoon of ground cinnamon in a small dish.
- Grab the dough from the fridge and one of the lined baking sheets. Portion out around 10 2-Tablespoon sized scoops of dough. Roll each hunk of dough into a ball, then roll each ball in the bowl of cinnamon sugar to fully coat them. Space them about 1-2 inches apart on the baking sheet, and bake them for 12-14 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- As the first pan bakes bake, prepare the next batch. When the cookies come out of the oven, give them a few minutes to rest on the hot pan. Then, transfer them to a cooling rack to finish coming down to room temperature. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 days, and enjoy with a glass of milk!
Tips
- Unbaked cookie dough can be portioned out and frozen to pull and bake as the need for a fresh snickerdoodle arises. Follow the recipe as written up to step 5, skipping heating up the oven. After the dough chills, portion out the entire batch of dough into 2-Tablespoon hunks, roll them into balls, and place them directly next to each other on a lined baking sheet. Place the sheet of dough in the freezer until all of the balls are frozen solid, then transfer them over to a freezer safe bag. When you’re ready to bake, roll the desired amount of cookies in cinnamon sugar and bake for 14-15 minutes.
0 Comments