Everyone loves cookies, but it can be hard to sift through all those tempting online recipes to find the truly good ones. For that reason I decided to try out a recipe that I’ve never tried before and chronicle my descent into the unknown. Without further ado, here is my winter baking adventure!
1: I choose the Soft & Thick Snickerdoodles recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction. Sadly I realize I’m missing white sugar and vanilla extract. Oh well, we’ll see what happens with brown sugar and vanilla beans. I haven’t even begun mixing and there are already problems.
2: The recipe says to use an electric mixer to beat the butter, but it underestimates my arm strength! (Not to mention my poverty — R.I.P. my electric mixer, 2005-2014)
Also, Mum comes to the rescue by pointing out the hidden bag of white sugar. Back on track! I end up using one cup of sugar instead of one-and-a-third like the recipe states. That’s too sweet for my tastebuds.Â
3: I add eggs and vanilla beans, which, my friends, are finicky, brittle, and skinny, and pieces break off and fall into the batter (as in my photo), but they smell like heaven! Definitely worth it.
4: After mixing that up, it’s time for the dry ingredients! Two and a half teaspoons of cinnamon might not sound like much, but trust me, it is. And what even is cream of tartar? It’s a powder, not a cream! What is life?
The recipe says to add the dry ingredients in three batches, but honestly, who’s got the time for that?
5: Time to form the cookies! I make the dough into the recommended one-and-a-half tablespoon sized globs and roll them in cinnamon sugar. The recipe apparently makes twenty-four cookies, but I’m seriously doubting there will be enough dough to do that.
Of course that doesn’t stop me and various helpers (read: freeloading opportunists) from trying the dough raw while the first batch is in the oven. The verdict: delicious, if a bit grainy from the sugar.
6: Whoever describes opening an oven as a gentle and fresh cookie-scented experience is a poser. I open the oven to a blast of superheated air that almost makes my eyelids curl inside-out. The moment passes though, and proudly I welcome my first batch of snickerdoodles into the world!
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I asked my freeloading opportunists for taste feedback, and here is what they said:
Opportunist 1: It’s like apple pie without the apples.
Opportunist 2: That was a snickerdoodle cookie? I thought it was gingerbread… wow I’m tired. I’ll have to try another and get back to you.
Opportunist 3: It had a dry, crumbly texture. I like your chewy cookies better.
Opportunist 2 (again): Crispy, flavourful, would go really well with a tea or coffee.
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So there we have it, my baking adventure is a nearly unanimous success! If you’re looking to try a new recipe this season, look no further than these delicious snickerdoodles, and have fun!