Cinnamon Cardamom Snickerdoodles
I started writing this post numerous times, trying to figure out how to just come out and say it. I skirted around the issue. I sugar-coated it. But here, I’ll just come out with it: I stole this cookbook. No really, I full-on stole it. And it’s fabulous. Now let me explain: This fall, I was an intern at a local weekly paper here in San Francisco. It started out strong with assignments, bad coffee, and seminars touching on San Francisco history and politics. I was engaged. I envisioned a future with me traipsing about the city covering local food and culture. I wouldn’t make much money, but I’d be happy. And well-fed. But in a very short time, the support faded and I found myself at a dark, windowless desk trying to look busy and not sulk that nothing I ever wrote seemed to make it to the right person’s desk. The scheduling of the internship was such that I couldn’t accept a full-time job anywhere, and I was the oldest intern by a solid ten years. I kept telling myself it could go somewhere. Who knows? In the meantime, I got to know Twitter. I did a little online shopping. I taught myself photo editing techniques, and learned a little hmtl code. I even wrote letters to relatives I hadn’t seen in way too long.
The high point of each day was checking the mail. I spent way more time on the task than my fellow interns, making piles for the appropriate editors and studying the upcoming events and book releases to see what might be worth checking out. And then, there were the days when publishers and PR folks would send books, cd’s, free tickets and the like. So now you can see where this is going. On a particularly dreary and stormy afternoon, my editor received a recipe compilation from the editors at Food & Wine entitled, Best of the Best Cookbook Recipes. In it, the they’d gone through the most exciting cookbooks from 2009 and pulled their favorite dishes. Ah hah. It must be mine. I looked around and slid it into my welcoming messenger bag. I know, I know–stealing’s never good. Even if you are a jaded, overqualified intern. And after a mere few hours, my conscience started to get the best of me. So I left a note. It went a little something like this. Dear ______ (overworked editor): You got a cookbook in the mail today and I’m borrowing it for research purposes. Let me know if you ever need it back. Thanks, Megan (intern in the back left corner). There. Phew. Now it wasn’t technically stealing. And guess what? The editor that rarely published my pieces also never checks her mail. Imagine that. Three months later, that note’s probably still sitting there. Lucky for us because now I can share these cookies with you.
Now I’m the kind of gal that sticks to a recipe once I find one I like. I commit to it wholeheartedly. I’ve got my rock-solid pie crust recipe, my favorite brownie recipe, the best onion casserole you’ll ever taste. So I don’t often set out looking for other pie crust recipes or new and better brownies. And with snickerdoodles, I’m faithful to Magnolia Bakery’s recipe. They’re thin and chewy with a crackled sugar top and a classic sunken center. I’m particularly fond of crumbling them over vanilla ice cream and berries in the summer or eating them right out of the oven with a cup of milky coffee in the winter. That being said, I was intrigued by Mani Niall’s recipe for Cinnamon Cardamom Snickerdoodles from Best of the Best Cookbook Recipes. The recipe is pulled from Niall’s book, Sweet! in which he explores recipes using all different kinds of natural sweeteners (this is one of the few recipes using white sugar) such as agave, honey, and muscovado sugar. He aims to improve familiar recipes by varying the sweeteners to avoid processed sugars and blood-sugar spikes. I’ll be honest. I wasn’t drawn to this recipe for any of those reasons. I simply love cardamom and had never considered using it with a classic snickerdoodle recipe. The result is quite magical.
Cardamom is a spice that’s used in a lot of Indian and Middle Eastern dishes for it’s complex, aromatic, spicy-sweetness. It dresses up these cookies like nothing else. If your typical snickerdoodle is good afternoon snacking fare, these are racier–more apt for late night kitchen forays. Now snickerdoodles are tough to muck up. So I hope you decide to give these a try, and I hope my old editor isn’t reading the blog. It’s a very, very safe bet she’s not. I’m willing to bet this stolen cookbook on it.
Cinnamon Cardamom Snickerdoodles
- Yield: 30-36
- Prep time: 10 mins
- Cook time: 10 mins
- Total time: 20 mins
While this was an excellent recipe just the way it was, I did adapt it slightly using just a dash less cardamom. I like the subtle warmth the spice brings to the cookies, but I found 1 1/2 tsp. sufficiently conveyed that. I also used ground cardamom instead of grinding my own like Niall suggests. She raises an important point that spices lose their freshness quickly, but I had just purchased the cardamom and it was used so sparingly that I’m happy with the results. If you’d like to use fresh cardamom, grind the seeds from 20 cardamom pods in an electric spice grinder, mini food processor, or mortar/pestle and use immediately.
Slightly adapted from: Sweet!
Ingredients
For cookies:
For Spiced Sugar:
Instructions
Position oven racks in the center and top third of the oven and preheat oven to 375 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt (This is important, to completely combine the cream of tarter and baking soda, and to break up any clumps). Beat the butter and sugar in a medium-size bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until the mixture is light in color and texture, about 3 minutes. One at a time, beat in the eggs, then the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low. In four equal additions, add the flour mixture, beating the dough until it’s smooth after each addition.
To make the spiced sugar, combine the ground cardamom, sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Using a level tablespoon of dough for each cookie, roll the dough into walnut-size balls. A few at a time, toss the balls in the spiced sugar to coat, and place about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Sprinkle the tops of each cookie with a bit of the spiced sugar.
Bake until the edges of the cookies are crisp and lightly browned, but the centers are still a bit soft, 8-10 minutes. Rotate the cookie sheet halfway through baking. Cool on the sheets for a few minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Healthy Comfort Food
Thai Carrot, Coconut and Cauliflower Soup
People describe raising young kids as a particular season in life. I hadn't heard this until we had a baby, but it brought me a lot of comfort when I'd start to let my mind wander, late at night between feedings, to fears that we'd never travel internationally again or have a sit-down meal in our dining room. Would I ever eat a cardamom bun in Sweden? Soak in Iceland? I loved the heck out of our tiny Oliver, but man what had we done?! Friends would swoop in and reassure us that this was just a season, a blip in the big picture of it all. They promised we'd likely not even remember walking around the house in circles singing made-up songs while eating freezer burritos at odd hours of the day (or night). And it's true.
Oliver is turning two next month, and those all-encompassing baby days feel like a different time, a different Us. In many ways, dare I say it, Toddlerhood actually feels a bit harder. Lately Oliver has become extremely opinionated about what he will and will not wear -- and he enforces these opinions with fervor. Don't get near the kid with a button-down shirt. This week at least. He's obsessed with his rain boots and if it were up to him, he'd keep them on at all times, especially during meals. He insists on ketchup with everything (I created a damn monster), has learned the word "trash" and insists on throwing found items away on his own that really, truly are not trash. I came to pick him up from daycare the other day and he was randomly wearing a bike helmet -- his teacher mentioned he'd had it on most of the day and really, really didn't want to take it off. The kid has FEELINGS. I love that about him, and wouldn't want it any other way. But, man it's also exhausting.
Cheesy Quinoa Cauliflower Bake
I just finished washing out Oliver's lunchbox and laying it out to dry for the weekend. My favorite time of day is (finally) here: the quiet of the evening when I can actually talk to Sam about our day or sit and reflect on my own thoughts after the inevitable dance party or band practice that precedes the bedtime routine lately. Before becoming pregnant for the second time, I'd have had a glass of wine with the back door propped open right about now -- these days though, I have sparkling water or occasionally take a sip from one of Sam's hard ciders. Except now the back door's closed and we even turned on the heat for the first time yesterday. The racing to water the lawn and clean the grill have been replaced by cozier dinners at home and longer baths in the evening. You blink and it's the first day of fall.
Stuffed Shells with Fennel and Radicchio
I'd heard from many friends that buying a house wasn't for the faint of heart. But I always shrugged it off, figuring I probably kept better files or was more organized and, really, how hard could it be? Well, I've started (and stopped) writing this post a good fifteen times which may indicate something. BUT! First thing's first: we bought a house! I think! I'm pretty sure! We're still waiting for some tax transcripts to come through and barring any hiccough with that, we'll be moving out of our beloved craftsman in a few weeks and down the block to a great, brick Tudor house that we wanted the second we laid eyes on it. The only problem: it seemed everyone else in Seattle had also laid eyes on it, and wanted it equally as much. I'm not really sure why the homeowner chose us in the end. Our offer actually wasn't the highest, but apparently there were some issues with a few of them. We wrote a letter introducing ourselves and describing why we'd be the best candidates and why we were so drawn to the house; we have a really wonderful broker who pulled out all the stops, and after sifting through 10 offers and spending a number of hours deliberating, they ended up going with ours. We were at a friend's book event at the time when Sam showed me the text from our broker and I kind of just collapsed into his arms. We were both in ecstatic denial (wait, is this real?! Did we just buy a house?) and celebrated by getting chicken salad and potato salad from the neighborhood grocery store and eating it, dazed, on our living room floor. Potato salad never tasted so good.
Smoky Butternut Squash and Three Bean Chili
If your house is anything like ours, last week wasn't our most inspired in terms of cooking. We're all suffering from the post-election blues -- the sole upside being Oliver's decision to sleep-in until 7 am for the first time in many, many months; I think he's trying to tell us that pulling the covers over our heads and hibernating for awhile is ok. It's half-convincing. For much of the week, instead of cooking, there'd been takeout pizza and canned soup before, at week's end, I decided it was time to pour a glass of wine and get back into the kitchen. I was craving something hearty and comforting that we could eat for a few days. Something that wouldn't remind me too much of Thanksgiving because, frankly, I can't quite gather the steam to start planning for that yet. It was time for a big bowl of chili.
To Talk Porridge
Porridge is not the sexiest of breakfasts, it's true. It doesn't have a stylish name like strata or shakshuka, and it doesn't have perfectly domed tops like your favorite fruity muffin. It doesn't crumble into delightful bits like a good scone nor does it fall into buttery shards like a well-made croissant. But when you wake up and it's 17 degrees outside (as it has been, give or take a few, for the last week), there's nothing that satisfies like a bowl of porridge or oatmeal. It's warm and hearty and can be made sweet or savory with any number of toppings. The problem? Over the years, it's gotten a bad rap as gluey or gummy or just downright boring or dutiful -- and it's because not everyone knows the secrets to making a great pot of warm morning cereal. So let's talk porridge (also: my cookbook comes out this month! So let's take a peek inside, shall we?)
Shiyuan
OMG, your pictures look delightful. There's nothing like the cookies your momma made growing up.
Manggy
Oboy! I could never muster up the courage to do something like that, I think. But I know that series (BotB) so I definitely understand the motivation! The cookies are very tempting too ;)
jacquie
love cardamom & snickerdoodles so i absolutely have to try these. how do you think they would be w/ 1/2 the AP flour swapped for white whole wheat? not that all things need to be made "healthier" just thinking it might add to the depth of the cookie a bit - or at least not take anything away.
megang
Jacquie-I think they'd be just fine with 1/2 WW. They wouldn't be quite as light, but the flavor would be the same...if you try it let me know!
Memoria
The most beautiful snickerdoodles I've ever soon. Lovely.
my spatula
your snickerdoodles are some of the prettiest, lightest and fluffiest i've ever seen. just beautiful!
Sara
I can't say snickerdoodles are a gave cookie choice, but the addition of cardamon makes them unique. And who are we kidding, Ive never been one to turn down a cookie :) oh, and totally not stealing. Research is essential.
Sara
I meant fave, oops :)
Jennifer
I just came across your blog and love it!!
These cookies sound so good, I love cardamom and snickerdoodles!
rebecca
wow awesome cooking and I say you deserve the book as you appreciate it your blog is looking fab by the way
Rebecca
Barbara Bakes
I've recently come to love cardamom too. And combined with my love for snickerdoodles, these have become a must try recipe for me. So glad you borrowed that book!
megang
Thanks for the comments and for stopping by, Barbara, Rebecca, Jennifer, Sara, Memoria, and My Spatula. Have a great weekend!
Mimi
What a lovely combination, snickerdoodles and cardmon. Beautiful blog.
Mimi
Karine
These look wonderful! Great combo of flavor. Thanks for sharing :)
marla {Family Fresh Cooking}
I just discovered your blog and immediately added to my reader. Love your intern story....so glad you got out of your dark corner and took the cookbook with you! These Snickerdoodles sound great. Awesome photos!
megang
Marla: Glad you're enjoying the recipes on the blog. Thanks for stopping by and saying hello!
Sarah: You must try a snickerdoodle! Not big in England?
Heavenly housewife: if you like cardamom, you really should try these...I'm thinking of making another batch this afternoon because someone (hmmm...) has eaten them all!
Sarah, Maison Cupcake
Hi there, these look really tasty. I still haven't tried a snickerdoodle but I must do so soon. The name is wonderful, we don't really get them in the UK but I have heard of them via Nigella Lawson.
El
I love snickerdoodles. Now that I've read this post I need a glass of milk!
Heavenly Housewife
Daaaaaaaahling, this is just to die for. Cardamom is one of my all time favorite flavours. I love this.
Hope you are having a fab weekend.
*kisses* HH
Bo
Those look so delicious...I think I will have to buy this cookbook.
Denise | Chez Danisse
I think you deserve the book. She'll let you know if she wants it back... These look delicious! They are the most beautiful snickerdoodles I've ever seen.
Mom2Foodie
Your snickerdoodles look amazing! Did you use the smallest scoop from Williams Sonoma to make them? I found your blog as I thought that cardamom might go nicely in a snickerdoodle; glad to see it does and can't wait to test it out!
megang
Hi Audrey! I did use a small scoop...I think I got it at Bed, Bath, and Beyond but yes, it's the smallest one available and it's great for cookies. The recipe is really, really solid. Let me know how you like them!
Molly
Snickerdoodles are the best! I think the cinnamon on the top is the best kind too.. I can't wait to try this new recipe because I lost my old one and these look delicious. I'm sure I won't be disappointed! YUM!
-Molly
Antique Jewelry
Heidi
I'm making these for the second time today.
After seeing them on your blog, I made them during the holidays. They were so delicious I haven't stopped thinking about them since!
megang
Hi Heidi!
Those are some good cookies -- I haven't made them in far too long. So happy you like them!
Selena
looks yummy.
Maureen
Made 'em. Love 'em. Used bleached flour - what's the diff? I always wonder.
megang
Hi Maureen! Awesome. Glad to hear you liked them. The difference won't matter at all in your end product. Unbleached flour has been bleached naturally with time whereas bleached is chemically treated (why many folks prefer the former). Happy baking!
richard stallman cloud computing
It's difficult to find experienced people about this topic, but you seem like you know what you're talking about!
Thanks
Bettina
Excellent cookies for the cardamom lover! I think less is more when it comes to sweets and these are a great example of simple perfection!
AxelDC
Great cookies. The cardemom rounds out the cinnamon for a subtle, elegant flavor.
My only comment is that cream of tartar + baking soda = baking powder. I used 3 t of baking powder and the cookies had great lift and crumb.