Snickerdoodles with Crackly Cinnamon-Sugar Tops

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The snickerdoodle done properly: cream of tartar for that unmistakable tangy, chewy interior, a thick scoop of dough so the centers stay soft, and a heavy roll in cinnamon sugar that bakes into a sandy, crackled shell. They puff tall in the oven and collapse into ridges as they cool — no mixer gymnastics, no fussy chilling marathon.

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (330 g), spooned and leveled
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter (226 g), softened to cool room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (300 g)
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch fine sea salt

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt together in a medium bowl until no streaks of soda remain. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until pale, fluffy, and noticeably lightened. Scrape the bowl once.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating 20 to 30 seconds after each, then beat in the vanilla. The mixture should look smooth and glossy.
4. Add the flour mixture all at once and mix on low just until no dry patches remain, about 30 seconds. Finish by hand with a spatula, scraping the bottom of the bowl. The dough will be soft but scoopable.
5. Cover the bowl and chill for 30 minutes. This firms the butter just enough that the cookies rise tall before spreading, which is what creates the deep cracks.
6. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment. Stir the 1/3 cup sugar, cinnamon, and pinch of salt together in a small shallow bowl.
7. Scoop 2-tablespoon portions of dough (about 45 g each) and roll each between your palms into a smooth ball. Drop into the cinnamon sugar and roll to coat completely and generously — press a little extra on with your fingers. Place 8 balls per sheet, about 2 1/2 inches apart. Do not flatten them.
8. Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack for 9 to 11 minutes, until the cookies have puffed, cracked across the top, and the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underdone and pale. For extra-defined ridges, rap the sheet firmly on the oven rack at the 8-minute mark.
9. Let the cookies sit on the hot sheet for 5 minutes — they will sink and wrinkle as they set — then transfer to a rack. Bake the remaining dough, keeping unbaked balls chilled between batches. Serve slightly warm; they stay chewy for 3 days in an airtight container.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

Frozen Chocolate–Caramel Peanut Nougat Bars

Blueberry Peach Buckle with Almond Streusel

Creole Cream Cheese Cheesecake with Salted Caramel and Dark Chocolate

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem