Un-Classic Snickerdoodles

{ November 30, 2010 @ 7:00 am } · { Cookies }
{ Tags: cinnamon, easy on the clock }

Brother Bear left late Saturday night to go back to law school.

(Are we the only people who still occasionally use Berenstein Bears names?)

Anyway, my little brother went back to school earlier than we all would have liked.

And, yes, I know he’s 22 now, can vote, can imbibe legally, and can be drafted, but he will always always be my little brother.

He’s all I got in terms of siblings and we’re only 2 1/2 years apart so we’re pretty close. He’s a strong-willed little fella’ but, for me, he’ll drop mostly everything if I ask. I’ve heard his friends comment more than once that they could never imagine him as a “little” anything but the second I’m around they understand.

This is not to make him sound like a sad little puppy around me. We just have a better relationship than most siblings. My parents thought he was developmentally delayed for a while because he didn’t speak until he was two. Why, you ask? Big sister (that’s me, by the way) doted on little brother soooo much he never had to speak!

You get it. We’re Brother and Sister Bear of Berenstein Bears fame.

But we don’t get to see one another much anymore since he’s away becoming a lawyer of sorts and I’m still chasing that doctor dream.

So when we were both home for the holiday of Thanks there was a lot of laughter and silliness. But when he announced that he had to leave Saturday night to go study (my parents’ house is a black hole of unproductivity largely due to the big screen television) there was certainly some disappointment.

My immediate reaction?

I jumped up and said, “Wait! I’ll make cookies!”

And wait he did.

Because he’s my little brother and always will be even if he lives miles and miles away now.

These cookies are fantastic if you’re in a rush. You don’t have to bring the butter to room temperature since it’s just melted and they bake up in just 7 minutes. No stand or hand mixer to wash either! 2 bowls, 1 plate, a whisk, and a spatula (along with your measuring tools) are all you need. The most time-consuming part is the rolling etc but once you get into a rhythm it really doesn’t take long at all and is quite enjoyable.

The result? A beautifully soft, fluffy cookie that’s rich (the two sticks of butter may have something to do with that) but not so rich that you don’t want to eat five more right away . I call these “un-classic” because they don’t contain cream of tartar which is largely thought to be essential to provide a snickerdoodle with that little “bite.” These don’t have a bite. Do I miss it? Not really. But in case you would, know that these are biteless but completely delicious in their own right.

Save this recipe for a rainy day. You likely always have all the ingredients on hand and they take no time at all!

You’re welcome.

Un-Classic Snickerdoodles
adapted from the Kitchn

Makes 3-4 dozen cookies depending on size.

Ingredients

For Cookies:

• 1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1/2 heaping cup dark brown sugar, unpacked
• 1 c white granulated sugar
• 3 c flour
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For Rolling:

• 1/4 c white granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Instructions
Preheat oven to 425F. Take out baking pans but leave unlined (or line with parchment paper for easier cleanup).

For Cookies: Melt butter in microwave and set aside to cool while making the rest of the cookie batter. Stir together dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Then whisk eggs into melted and slightly cooled butter. Add vanilla. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined.

For Rolling: In a shallow plate, combine the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Form 1 1/2″ balls of cookie dough, then roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Place each ball onto baking sheet and flatten slightly. Space cookies about 1 1/2″ apart. Bake for 7 minutes and then cool on the pan.

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What’s your go-to cookie in a jiffy?