This summer my grad school program decided to offer classes in 2, 5-week summer sessions. I decided to stick with one class during the first summer session, (please don't ever make me take a research methods and statistics class in 5 weeks again...) which means I actually have the rest of the summer to chill... and bake!
I started the weekend by making a traditional flan recipe for a dinner party. The hardest part to me was caramelizing the sugar (I tried the recipe twice and it's gonna take some practice)... however it was delicious and devoured at the party, so win win.
After the dinner party, we were sent home with leftovers of chicken ropa vieja and scratch black beans. Such good food! Send your guests home with leftovers and they'll love you forever!
However, when you're sent home with leftovers, it means you have a dish to return. And being raised with good southern manners, I like to return a dish filled with treats.. Which gave me a good reason to crack out the mixing bowls and make cookies!
I debated what kind of cookies to make our friends. I thought about the classic chocolate chip, my favorite peanut butter... but for some reason snickerdoodles kept coming to mind. Snickerdoodles are old fashioned simple vanilla cookies that are coated with cinnamon and sugar.
They were some of the first cookies I learned to make as a child, and there's just something cozy and warm about them. They are the perfect cookies to pair with a hot cup of tea and a good book. Cliched maybe, but a good "librarian" cookie!
Snickerdoodles
free of gluten, dairy, and soy
adapted from the recipe in Southern Living Christmas Cookies c. 1986, pg. 62
makes 24 cookies
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Line a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet
- In a small bowl mix together the coating ingredients and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl cream together the shortening with the sugar. Add the egg & vanilla extract and stir until smooth and creamy.
- In a separate bowl whisk together all dry ingredients.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until fully incorporated. The dough will be firm, but not dry.
- Roll the dough into balls by teaspoons. Roll the balls into the coating mixture and place on a baking sheet 1" apart.
- Flatten the cookies into circles with the bottom of a glass.
- Bake 6-8 minutes until cookies are golden.
- Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool COMPLETELY before removing from the pan. They are fragile and will break if you don't allow them to cool completely!
- Enjoy with a cup of hot tea or a big tall glass of milk!