Snickerdoodle cookies without cream of tartar

The favorite cinnamon cookies recipe for the Christmas season are these easy snickerdoodle cookies without cream of tartar. They have the perfect shortbread consistency and flavor to make you happy during the holiday season.

If you're already on your Christmas cookie list then you're right to include this delicious, chewy, cinnamon-flavored shortbread cookie recipe. A perfect recipe to share in the good times with your family and a glass of warm milk.

What are Snickerdoodles?

Snickerdoodle cookies are a very popular shortbread recipe in the United States and may have German origins. But they are a favorite cookie recipe during the holiday season and are even one of the most prepared cookies at Christmas.

The esay snickerdoodle cookies are both cinnamon flavored and rolled in a mixture of cinnamon spice flavored sugar before being baked which gives them a nice golden color. They have a very chewy texture and are very tasty.

This recipe is very easy to make with simple ingredients except for one that is not very common to cookie recipes. The cream of tartar, in addition to the baking soda, would give it an even more chewy texture and a tangy taste.

Snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar

The traditional snickerdoodle recipe has the particularity of using an ingredient not very usual in shortbread recipes. It gives it a tangy taste and makes its texture more chewiness, it is the cream of tartar. This is an ingredient that is often seen in meringue recipes because it will help stabilize the whites.

But in this snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar I tried to remove this ingredient that we don't all have in our kitchen and the recipe was very well done.

But if you have it then don't hesitate to test this recipe by adding ½ teaspoon with the dry ingredients.

Texture of Snickerdoodle Cookies

Snickerdoodle cookies are a very easy recipe to make and although you may think they are similar to shortbread cookies, their texture is still very different.

We can see this difference already in its composition because they contain more leavening agent which will help the dough to push to the cooking and give this soft texture but also in the mode of preparation. Indeed we incorporate more air during the creaming of the butter and the sugar in addition to the action of the cream of tartar (or baking powder) which will give more soft cookies.

Useful tool for this recipe

• Baking tray
• Stand mixer
• Hand mixer

Ingredient notes

Butter

Use quality unsalted butter with at least 80% fat. The butter should be at room temperature and well softened but not melted so that the dough can be used immediately. The butter should be beaten with an electric mixer on high speed to incorporate lots of air and give the cookies a soft texture.

Sugar

Use granulated sugar or a fine powdered sugar for the dough so that it will blend in well. You can make a mixture of granulated sugar and brown sugar that adds extra flavor to cookie recipes

Eggs

Medium to large eggs, especially at room temperature, for a nice, even batter.

You can run the eggs under hot water if you didn't have time to take them out in advance.

Flour

I use a wheat flour to make this recipe, the all purpose flour is recommended for making cookies.

Tip: to make gluten-free snickerdoodles, replace the all-purpose flour with rice flour or another gluten-free flour.

Raising agents

This recipe is traditionally prepared with cream of tartar, which serves as a leavening agent and gives these snickerdoodles a little tangy taste. Also with baking soda which helps to obtain a soft and chewy texture. In this recipe I replaced the cream of tartar with the same amount of baking powder.

Salt and vanilla

Add a small pinch of salt and pure liquid vanilla extract to bring out all the flavors and perfume in this cookie recipe.

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

Use a mixture of granulated sugar that is not too fine and will adhere well to the dough with ground cinnamon. The more you put in, the more colorful the cinnamon sugar mixture will be.

How to make snickerdoodle cookies recipe

Make the snickerdoodle dough

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F / 180°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Then cream the butter with the granulated sugar with an electric mixer or a stand mixer. Beat at high speed for about 2-3 minutes until the mixture increases in volume and is very creamy.

Then add the eggs one at a time and the liquid vanilla extract while running the mixer on medium speed until they are well incorporated with the other ingredients.

Then add the remaining dry ingredients, flour, baking powder (or cream of tartar), baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon (optional) while running on low speed. Mix the ingredients together in a small bowl until the dough forms a smooth ball.

In a small bowl, mix together the topping ingredients, granulated sugar and ground cinnamon.

Then form dough balls with your hands and roll them in the cinnamon sugar topping until the sugar sticks to the ball. If necessary repeat this step twice to make sure they are well coated with cinnamon sugar.

Then place your balls of dough on the prepared baking sheet, trying to space them out as they will puff up during baking. And just before you bake them, lightly press the balls with your hands or use the back of a spoon to flatten them a bit. This will ensure that the cookies don't puff up too much and are round as they will rise when baked.

Bake the snickerdoodle

Finally put the snickerdoodle cookies to the oven for about 10 - 12 minutes depending on the diameter and the power of your oven. And until they are golden brown.

They will still be a little soft when they come out of the oven and will harden a little as they cool, so don't move them right away. Let them cool a bit before moving them and let them cool completely before serving.

How to store snikerdoodle recipe

At room temperature

These cinnamon shortbread cookies can be stored at room temperature for several weeks. And to keep them fresh, they should be stored in a storage box with an airtight lid

In the freezer

And you can also keep them for a very long time if you put them in storage bags after cooking and when they are completely cooled. And place in your freezer for up to 3 months.

Other Christmas recipes

• Snowflake gingerbread cookies
• Gingerbread Layer Cake
• Gingerbread village cake
• Linzer cookies

 

Tips for successful snickerdoodle recipe.

Ingredients at the right temperature

Start this recipe by following the instructions correctly, but above all by using ingredients at room temperature. This will ensure that the dough is more homogeneous and easier to work with.

Mix the butter and sugar well

The texture of snickerdoodle cookies is very different from simple shortbread cookies. The butter will be whipped with the sugar at high speed until the mixture is voluminous and fluffy. The sugar will also dissolve and form a homogeneous and creamy mixture.The vigorous beating will incorporate air and help give the cookies a nice soft, chewy texture.

Do not over mix the dry ingredients

As with all cookie recipes, to avoid over developing the gluten in the flour, it is important to avoid over kneading the dough to keep it soft and melting. When incorporating the flour, either mix at a slow speed and when the dry ingredients are well incorporated, stop mixing. Or you can do this step with your hands or a wooden spoon to avoid over mixing.

Don't overcook the snickerdoodles

The longer they are cooked the more they will harden and lose their chewy texture. So be careful to set a timer for about 10 minutes and when they are ready they will have that nice golden color and still be soft to the touch.

Other recipes with cinnamon

• Suedish cinnamon buns
• Chocolate cinnamon roll

Don't forget to tag me @sweetlycakes on Instagram if you make my easy snickerdoodle recipe and to add a link to my recipe if you share it on your blog 😉