The Buttery Snickerdoodle Recipe from the back of the King Arthur Bread Flour bag had been calling my name for a while, so I finally tried it with one little change, which was using Mexican vanilla.
At the time I was very excited to try a brand I'd ordered called Totonac's. It worked well in the Snickerdoodles, but I didn't take very good notes about how it worked in other things. I think I just kept ordering different Mexican vanillas and never found a true favorite. I do think I found a favorite Snickerdoodle recipe, though!
Buttery Snickerdoodles
Mexican vanilla aside, this is a very good recipe for Snickerdoodles made with bread flour. And I love that it calls for bread flour because I always have a lot of it on hand for bread making. If you'd rather make these with all-purpose flour you can, but I think the extra gluten in the bread flour gives these a slightly chewier exterior which goes well with the cakey (yes, sort of) center. It also helps the structure of the cookies which are typically made with shortening.
Flavoring
So back to that Mexican vanilla, these would be great with it! However, I usually Costco vanilla. I'm not sure where they get the beans for it, but it's a good all purpose vanilla and perfect for Snickerdoodles. Nielsen Massey vanilla bean paste is also really great in these. For the leavening agent, I have been using 1 teaspoon of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon (scant) of cream of tartar just for flavor. The original recipe did not call for the cream of tartar, but to me, Snickerdoodles need a little of it for their distinctive flavor.
Bread Flour
This recipe calls for 1 ⅓ cups of flour which could be anywhere from 160 to to 185 grams depending on how much moisture its absorbed. For best results, weigh about 170 grams. The dough will be fairly soft. I've used up to 185 grams and the cookies are still great, but the are better with 170.
Recipe
Buttery Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
- ½ cup softened unsalted butter (114 grams)
- ¾ cup sugar (145 grams)
- 1 large egg bring to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar (scant)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ⅓ cups bread or all-purpose flour (weigh for best results) (170 grams)
- Cinnamon Sugar: 2 tablespoons granulated sugar plus 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, sugar, vanilla and egg. Stir by hand or using medium speed of a mixer. The goal is to just stir until blended and not to whip.
- Add the baking powder, cream of tartar and salt directly to the batter and beat until blended, then add the flour and stir until it is mixed in.
- Using a small cookie scoop or a rounded teaspoon, scoop out balls of dough. They should be about 15 grams each. If the dough is very soft, you can chill the pre-formed balls for about 20 minutes.
- Before baking, mix together the cinnamon and sugar. Roll dough balls in cinnamon sugar.
- Place on cookie sheets and bake for for 8 to 10 minutes or until done.
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