Description
These festive Christmas Snickerdoodles are classic soft and chewy cookies with a delightful cinnamon-sugar coating and a hint of nutmeg for a holiday twist. Perfect for sharing at holiday gatherings or gifting during the season, they offer a crispy edge with a tender center.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients & Sugar
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 2 cups white sugar, divided
- 2 large eggs
Spices
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare baking sheets. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to ensure the cookies bake evenly and do not stick.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. This ensures the leavening and seasoning are well distributed throughout the dough.
- Cream butter and sugar. Using a mixer, cream the softened butter with 1 1/2 cups of the white sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, which incorporates air into the dough for softness.
- Add eggs. Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next, to create a smooth and cohesive dough base.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture, mixing until a soft dough forms. Be careful not to overmix to maintain a tender texture.
- Prepare cinnamon-sugar coating. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar with cinnamon and ground nutmeg. This will add a flavorful holiday spice to the cookie coating.
- Shape and coat dough balls. Roll the dough into 1-inch diameter balls, then thoroughly coat each ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, ensuring an even layer on all sides. Place the coated balls on the prepared baking sheets, spaced apart for even baking.
- Bake and cool. Bake the snickerdoodles in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. After baking, let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- For softer cookies, slightly underbake by reducing baking time to 8 minutes.
- Ensure butter is softened at room temperature for easy creaming.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- Optionally, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract for enhanced flavor.
- Rolling the dough balls generously in the cinnamon-sugar mixture gives the characteristic snickerdoodle crackled crust.
