SNICKERDOODLES
Makes 4 dozen cookies
Years ago, our friend Irvin made some snickerdoodles with wheat flour on his blog, Eat the Love. Then a reader asked if he could make them gluten-free. He did. And then we adapted them with different flours and no xanthan gum for our website. Somehow, this recipe came from new technology, food friends, and gluten-free flours. That feels like America today.
- 475 grams All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Blend
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons (115 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (110 grams) vegetable shortening (please buy the one without trans fats)
- 1½ cups plus 3 tablespoons (300 grams) organic cane sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Combine the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour blend, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
Cream the butter and sugar. Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Put the shortening in with the butter and blend on medium speed until they are coherent. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the mixer running, add 1½ cups of the sugar and beat until the mixture is fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the mixer running, add the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, waiting until each egg is fully incorporated into the dough before adding the next. Pour in the vanilla and mix until combined.
Finishing the cookie dough. With the stand mixer running on low, slowly pour in the flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl once in a while. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and preferably overnight.
Prepare to bake. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Bake the cookies. Take the dough out of the refrigerator. Form small balls of dough, about 30 grams each. Combine the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl. Dunk each ball of dough in the cinnamon sugar and roll it around. Space the cookies 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes, then pull it out and immediately place it in the hot oven. Bake until the cookies are flattened, crisp at the edges, and the tops have started to crackle, 10 to 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then move them to a wire rack and continue baking the rest of the cookie dough the same way.
