Snickerdoodles! (with white chocolate cinnamon ice cream)

For once, messing around on google reader during conference calls has paid off! I now get to sub in this week and host the Sweet Melissa Sunday recipe!!!I don't really take long in the choosing (4seconds tops) because I've been wanting to make Melissa's snickerdoodles for awhile. These cookies don't require anything special. You probably have all the ingredients in your house right now. Plus I've never met anyone who doesn't like a snickerdoodle. I don't know if it's the name or simple goodness of the cookie- probably both!
I made the cookies in two different sizes. One small scoop like the recipe calls for and one big scoop. Both came out well- the little ones were perfect for making ice cream sandwiches. My standard snickerdoodle recipe uses vegetable shortening instead of butter. This recipe is straight butter which makes for a tastier dough, which I sampled frequently as it refrigerated. The end result of the cookies was pretty similar to my other recipe, soft and chewy. These do go from chewy to crunchy pretty fast so watch them closely in the oven.

The ice cream is white chocolate cinnamon. The chocolate is subtle but mellows the cinnamon nicely. Recipe for the ice cream to follow soon but the snickerdoodle recipe (along with my notes) follows. Thanks to all the Sweet Melissa bakers for baking with me this week!

Snickerdoodles

Makes 3 dozen cookies

For the dough:

½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 ½ cups sugar

2 large eggs (Spike note- always good to have your eggs at room temp too)

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons cream of tarter

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

For the cinnamon sugar:

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ cup sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until smooth, 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tarter, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until combined. The dough will be soft and too sticky to roll. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. (Spike note- or overnight)

Position a rack in the top and bottom thirds of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350f. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

For the cinnamon sugar: Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.

Using a 1 ounce cookie scoop or a tablespoon, shape the dough into balls and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar. (Spike note- I like to flatten the cookies a bit while in the cinnamon sugar and then flip over as they are placed on the cookie sheet. That way you get a lot of the cinn sug on the top of the cookie).

Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Flatten them slightly with your fingertips so they stay put. Bake for about 12-13 minutes, or until the bottoms are slightly golden in color. (Spike note- check on the around 10 minutes). These cookies are supposed to be chewy, so do not overbake. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Snickerdoodles keep in an airtight container at room temp for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze well wrapped in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil for up to 3 weeks. Do not uncover before defrosting.