Snicker-DO-dlles

Prior to a few months ago I had never made snickerdoodles. Whenever I was looking for a new recipe they never seemed "exciting" enough, so I would pass them over. Back in the fall I had pinned a recipe for pumpkin snickerdoodles and the pumpkin addict in me couldn't help making them. They were quite delicious and my bug really enjoyed them because the process of rolling the dough into balls, dipping in cinnamon sugar, and squashing them with a cup was fun for her.

The bug has a ridiculously detailed memory for a 3/4 year old and started asking me again this past week if we could make snickerdoodles. As we were getting together with some family this weekend, I told her we could make them on Saturday. I did a quick check of the pantry to make sure I didn't need anything at the store and saw what I thought was a can of pumpkin.

Fast forward to yesterday when we were literally 3/4 of the way through the recipe - the wet ingredients were mixing in our Kitchen aid while my bug was whisking together the dry ingredients - when I went to grab the can of pumpkin and discovered it was actually a can of evaporated milk with a picture of pumpkin pie on the front! Oops! As I was frantically looking around the kitchen trying to determine what I could use in place of the pumpkin (applesauce?? all out! bananas?? not ripe enough! ahhhh!), my bug was becoming more and more frustrated with the delay. Finally, she gave me a withering dirty look and said, "Mommy, just DO IT!"

So I did. I skipped adding the pumpkin and just added the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. The dough was WAY too thick, so I grabbed the fat free half and half from the fridge and added about 1/4 cup. The dough was still firmer than when we made the pumpkin version, but it was actually easier to roll.

I crossed my fingers and popped them in the oven. Wouldn't you know, they came out delicious! They were lightly spiced, sweet, and with a dense crumb that made them crisp to bite, but melt in your mouth buttery. Mmm, I think I'm going to go get one to dunk in my coffee right now!

Snicker-DO-oodles
For cookies:
1 cup butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup milk or half and half
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 3/4 cup unbleached white flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger

For cinnamon sugar coating:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
sprinkle of ginger, nutmeg, and allspice

Flattened cookies on their way into the oven

Just baked on the cooling rack

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat butter and both sugars on medium speed for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add egg and vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and spices).
5. In small increments, add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the mixing bowl (warning: it will be very thick!)
6. Add the milk to soften the dough up.
7. Roll dough into balls (the size is up to you!).
8. Coat balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place on a baking sheet.
9. Use the bottom of a glass to flatten the cookies.
10. Bake for 8 minutes if small cookies (bug made bite sized ones), 10-12 minutes if larger cookies.