A note from Mrs. Noland: “Growing up in Queens, New York, my mother had a tradition of baking Snickerdoodles on snowy days when schools were closed (which was not often). Ah, the joy of entering the house and smelling cookies baking in the oven after hours of play outside! With a mug of hot chocolate, there was nothing better!”

Ingredients:

1 Cup (2 Sticks) Soften Butter

1 1/2 Cups Sugar

2 Eggs

2 3/4 Cups Flour

2 Tsp. Cream of Tartar (If you don’t have cream of tartar, you can substitute it with 2 tsp. of baking powder and eliminate the baking soda)

1 Tsp. Baking Soda

1/4 Tsp. Salt

Instructions: 

In a bowl, thoroughly mix the softened butter, sugar, and eggs. 

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. 

Roll into balls the size of small walnuts. Roll in a mixture of 2 tbsp. sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned…but still soft. (These cookies puff up at first, then flatten out.) 

Once cooled down, the only thing left to do is enjoy!

How did Snickerdoodles get their name?

While most sources agree that this treat originated with Dutch-German immigrants in New England, the name itself is a bit of a mystery. Some think it’s based on the German word “Schneckennudel”, a type of sweet bun. Others think it could simply be a made-up word—those New England bakers had a tradition of creating whimsical cookie names, apparently because they were just so fun to say!

Author: Carol Noland