Sugar & Spice Snickerdoodles
Day 6 of the 12 Days of Christmas Cookie Series
We're halfway, people! Halfway!
Sometimes, the holiday season does feel like a kitchen marathon where I emerge just before midnight dusted in flour and tumble into bed.
But when I behold the efforts of those hours and boxes full of sugary bliss, I know it's worth it. So worth it.
So is today's cookie, a sassy creation that is absolutely inspired by your favorite Indian influenced latte. We start with a spicy snickerdoodle, carefully engineered to stay puffy and soft instead of falling into a flat crispness. After cooling, they're topped with a swathe of vanilla bean buttercream and then liberally sprinkled with sugar and spice.
This cookie is everything that is nice about warm spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, all spice, and nutmeg.
Not only are the flavor notes present in the cookie itself, but the intense vanilla of the frosting compliments and brings them forward to your palate.
I tried this recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction last year and was so pleased, I just had to put it back on the list this season.
By itself, the snickerdoodle portion would be a well balanced cookie, soft and complex. The frosting, with just a pinch of salt and lots of authentic vanilla bean, transports basic to breathtaking.
I've had lots of great success with Sally's recipes and cookies seem to be her particular forte, so if you're looking for a reliable mistress of baking, check out her blog. You know, when you're done here.
A few notes on this recipe:
1. Absolutely do not over bake these cookies. Watch them carefully. Soon after they begin to puff, you'll want to pull them (10 minutes). Don't wait until the tops crack even a little. By then, it's too late and you'll end up with dry cookie once they cool.
2. Don't skimp on spices. Use real nutmeg hulls, high quality cinnamon and all spice. Do NOT let me catch you dumping McCormick anything into these cookies. It's the difference between drinking generic cola and real Coca-Cola. Not even remotely the same. Real vanilla beans. You must use real vanilla beans. Costco carries them cheaply during the holiday season. Stock up.
3. You'll see there is salt in the frosting and you might be confused. Does salt belong in frosting? (Spoiler alert- it does!) Every good buttercream I have ever had the pleasure of whipping up has had a pinch of salt in it. Try it- you'll recognize the difference right away.
4. Don't use milk or even half and half. This frosting is meant to be thick and heavy cream is essential for texture and flavor. I recommend Costco's heavy cream which has a particularly high fat content compared to other brands. It's only 3 Tbsp.- loosen your belt and get on with it.
The dough for these includes melted butter, which means later they'll need to chill so you can actually form them into balls without having a serious mess on your hands. Literally.
Look that mountain of dough. Hmmm... Crap. Do not get distracted. Chill this stuff and then roll it into small balls. You're gonna want some of this for the next step.
What is all that? Funny you should ask.
That's the sugar and spice part. It's kind of the whole point of this cookie. A touch of pepper adds a tantalizing aroma and a hint of smoke to the final product.
Roll them around for a bit in that lovely bath of spices, then pop them into the oven. Remember, watch closely. You want these just slightly puffy- no crackly tops!
There. See? Perfect. A soft snickerdoodle made possible by a fantastic recipe. Thanks Sally!
Once these cookies awash in the golden glow of spice cool down, you'll want top them with some vanilla bean buttercream.
This frosting is a thick one, heavy with cream and sprinkled with real vanilla seeds. Behold the beauty.
I used a piping bag and a tip to make little ruffles and petal shaped clusters on the cookie tops, then sprinkled them with the remaining spice for a freshly dusted look. The best part? These taste as gorgeous as they look.
And there you have it, kids. Sugar and spice and everything that's nice about a soft, fragrant snickerdoodle. We'll be back tomorrow with the seventh day of Christmas cookies. And this time it's an original recipe that has quickly become one of my family's favorites. See you soon- Mwah!
Sugar and Spice Snickerdoodles
Ingredients (Recipe courtesy of Sally's Baking Addiction)
2 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For rolling:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 tsp. black pepper
For the vanilla bean buttercream:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 and 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons heavy cream
seeds scraped from 1/2 of a split vanilla bean
1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Toss the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together until smooth. Whisk in the egg, then the vanilla until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very thick and heavy, yet slightly crumbly. Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and roll 1.5 Tablespoons of dough into each ball. You'll have about 20-24 balls.
For the rolling: Mix the sugar and spices together in a small bowl. Roll each dough ball into the mixture to coat evenly. Place 12 balls of dough onto each cookie sheet. Bake the cookies for 10-11 minutes. The cookies will look very puffy, soft, and under baked. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the frosting: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy - about 2 minutes. Add confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, cream, and vanilla bean seeds with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 full minutes. Add 1 Tablespoon more cream if frosting is too thick. Taste and add 1/8 teaspoon salt.
Frost cooled cookies. Sprinkle with extra sugar/chai spice topping.