Mrs. Sigg's Snickerdoodles

Who is Mrs. Sigg? I googled, I searched and I came up with nothing but copies of her recipe... and kudos. Praise that this is the best snickerdoodle you will ever taste (agreed). Acclaim over the cookie's slightly crunchy outside and soft, sweet inside texture (agreed). Esteem and gratitude for such a simple combination of cinnamon and sugar (agreed). I can't possibly be the first person to ask of Mrs. Sigg's whereabouts. I found this recipe years ago on allrecipes.com. I was in graduate school living away from my hometown and wanted to recreate a childhood favorite: snickerdoodles. I was first introduced to said cookie at a sleepover at a childhood friend's home. Her mom asked if I wanted a snickerdoodle and being an extremely picky eater I scrunched my nose at the brown speckled cookie and asked, "what is that?" She said it was like a sugar cookie but with cinnamon. I took a bite, and six cookies later I was hooked. Every time I was at their home (and I was there a lot), I asked if there were any snickerdoodles. My friend's mom got a kick out of how much I loved these simple cookies. One year, when I was home on break from college, she made me a batch for Christmas. She wrapped them up and everything (thanks, PJB)! I never asked for her recipe, but this has to be close because they taste just like hers (insert Happy Dance). Here's what I learned making this recipe:

1. Parchment paper is key. This recipe will make 36 large cookies or 48 small cookies. If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times... Using parchment saves much need time when rotating the cookies in and out of the oven. You could also use a silicon mat if you want something more 'green' friendly.

2. Butter and shortening make a great combination. I'm convinced that using both are what make this recipe special. You have the sweet taste of butter while the shortening keeps the cookie from completely flattening and provides the crunchy outer layer.

3. That little spoonful of cream of tartar is more important than you think. When you make these cookies, look at them as soon as you pull them out of the oven. You will notice that they spread out, but you will also see that they look - well, they look puffy (I'm sure there is a better word, but nothing else comes to mind). I did some googling to see why. They puff because cream of tartar is acidic and works as a stabilizing agent in these cookies. It seems to keep the one and a half cups of cooked sugar from crystallizing, leaving behind a creamy texture in the center of the cookie.

If you find Mrs. Sigg will you pass on my kudos, too? These cookies bring joy to all.

---

Mrs. Sigg's Snickerdoodles Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Yields: 24-30 cookies Prep Time: 15 mins Bake Time: 8-10 mins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

2. Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.

3. Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not too hard. Remove immediately from baking sheets. Enjoy!

#butter #cinnamon #creamoftartar #mrs #sigg #shortening #snickerdoodles #cookies