In my home, the smell of baking cookies constantly wafts through the air. The delicious fragrance is one of my family’s favorite scents. My mom can often be found in the kitchen measuring out sugar and vanilla with the ease of someone who has spent her whole life baking. As a little girl, I would sit at the counter and watch her scoop the cookies onto the tray, especially perking up when she pulled out the spatula because I hoped she would let me taste the dough. She still sends me and my siblings to school with plates of cookies to share with friends.

She definitely passed her love of baking onto me, because baking is one of my favorite activities now. One benefit of this is that I get to learn all her recipes that used to be a mystery to me. This is a recipe for snickerdoodle cookies, a crowd favorite. They are especially fun around the holidays but will taste great at any time of the year. These cookies can be easily frozen and will taste just as good as they were when fresh.

Ingredients:

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon coarse salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 ½ cups sugar 

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Put butter and 1 ½ cups sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. 
   
2. Mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture.
3. Stir together cinnamon and the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into 20 (1 ¾-inch) balls; roll in cinnamon sugar. Space 3 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 3 days. They can be frozen in the freezer for up to one month.
5. Enjoy!

Lovey Moore ‘24, Contributing Writer

24lmoore@montroseschool.org