Ahh, November as a teacher in New Jersey. After the mayhem that is the start of the school year, this month feels like a breeze. This past weekend was a long weekend for Teacher’s Convention, which I took advantage of to journey down south to DC and Baltimore to visit some friends from college. It was a short trip, but walking around inner harbor in Baltimore made me very nostalgic for a road trip my family had taken a long time ago.

In my nostalgia, I texted my mom for her snickerdoodle recipe, sure I remembered her making them when I was little. She responded that she didn’t have one, but I think she just didn’t want to dig through boxes to find it. So instead I found one in a cookbook I’ve been dying to use: Milk & Cookies. I’ve had this book for awhile, but because the recipes were all by weight, I hadn’t yet had a chance to try it. With my nifty kitchen scale, though, I was willing to give it a shot.

In the recipe, I’ll include both the weights and traditional measurements, just in case you haven’t jumped on the kitchen scale bandwagon yet, but trust me when I say that baking by weight is infinitely easier.

First, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Look how easy it is to measure 11 1/4 ounces!

Then, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and shortening, starting on low speed and increasing to medium to beat for 3 minutes. It will be light and creamy when you’re ready to move on.

Add 1 1/2 cups of sugar slowly while continuously beating for an additional two minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, and reduce the speed to low, beating to incorporate after each addition.

Add the vanilla extract and beat until blended.

Add the flour mixture on low speed in two additions, beating until just mixed together. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Recipes that involve overnight components catch me by surprise every time. I had told my doorman that I would bring him cookies last night when I started making these. Then I got to the overnight step and realized he would not be getting cookies that evening. Fortunately, he was there this morning when I finally baked them, and determined that they were “off the chain”, which he also clarified meant they were delicious. Brian is my biggest fan.

Anyways, after the dough is sufficiently chilled, mix the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Place the balls about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes or until lightly brown. When you touch the top of the cookie, the indent should remain.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. These cookies are meant to be chewy, so to prevent them from getting too crisp, the airtight container is crucial.

Enjoy!

Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups (11 1/4 ounces) flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) shortening
• 1 3/4 cups (12 ounces) sugar, divided
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
•  2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Cream together butter and shortening using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, starting at low speed, and increasing to medium for about 3 minutes or until light and creamy.
3. Add 1 1/2 cups sugar and continue beating for 2 minutes.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat after each addition.
5. Beat in vanilla extract until smooth.
6. Add flour mixture in two additions, beating on low speed until just incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
7. Combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll in cinnamon sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
8. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes or until just golden brown. Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.