Believe it or not, until last week I had never baked snickerdoodles. I was a complete snickerdoodle novice.
Even though I’d mentioned I might be a little tired of cookies, I couldn’t let these pass me by. A couple of reasons made me share them: first, I had never made snickerdoodles before and they happen to be one of Mr. How Sweet’s favorite cookies, so I couldn’t disappoint him. Second, these are astonishingly thick and fluffy — they practically melt in your mouth.
I keep calling them “fat,” and I’m starting to worry they might get offended. But honestly, their size is part of the charm.
I discovered this recipe on an old newspaper clipping from 1965 among Mother Lovett’s keepsakes. The paper was fragile and falling apart — I almost tore it and then spent nearly an hour trying to tape it back together so I could read the faded handwriting that said “made 20 fat cookies.”
Look at how thick and fluffy they are — like tiny vanilla-cinnamon clouds.
Mother Lovett must have made these long before I was born. She called them “fat,” and maybe that’s where their modesty comes from — I can imagine her calling them “plump” the way she used to call me that when I was a teenager.
These are definitely the chunkiest snickerdoodles I’ve ever eaten. While many snickerdoodles I’ve tried over the years were crisp and thin, these are soft, thick, and pillowy.
After baking they remain nearly an inch thick. They’re soft like big cinnamon cushions and easily the best snickerdoodles I’ve tasted. Mr. How Sweet agreed — though he had a mouthful so he didn’t exactly put it into words. But I could read his expression perfectly.
I’m grateful to that fragile newspaper from 1965 for this recipe.
Fat Fluffy Snickerdoodles
Makes 16–20 cookies
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon cinnamon for rolling
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing well until combined, about 2 minutes. Stir in the flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, mixing until the dough comes together. Add the milk; if the dough is still crumbly, add additional milk one teaspoon at a time until it forms a cohesive dough. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it into large 1 1/2-inch balls. Roll each ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and place them on a baking sheet, spacing them apart. Lightly flatten each ball with the palm of your hand. Bake at 375°F for 10–12 minutes, until the edges set but the centers remain soft. Let cool slightly before serving.
I wouldn’t be surprised if these became Santa’s favorite cookie too.