Snickerdoodle
A cinnamon-sugar cookie with a cracked surface.
A snickerdoodle is a cookie made from flour, fat, sugar, and salt, then coated in cinnamon sugar. Its cracked top is a key feature, and it can be soft or crisp. Cream of tartar gives it a distinct texture and tang, setting it apart from sugar cookies, which are usually rolled in plain white sugar.
Quick Facts
- Country
- United States
- Region
- New England
- Main ingredients
- Flour
- butter or oil
- sugar
- cinnamon sugar
- salt
Facts from the source article.
Etymology
The origin of the name is disputed. Joy of Cooking suggests it is probably German, a corruption of Schneckennudel, a Palatine variety of Schnecken. The Oxford English Dictionary calls the word's origin uncertain, possibly a compound of snicker, an onomatopoeic English word with Scottish roots meaning a smothered laugh, and doodle, a German loanword meaning a simple or foolish fellow. The earliest recorded use is from 1889.
Ingredients
Snickerdoodles have traditionally been made with a blend of shortening and butter, though some modern recipes replace shortening with different oils. The dough is made by creaming fat and sugar, whisking in an egg, and adding flour last. Some recipes use cream of tartar as the raising agent for an extra tangy taste. The dough is divided into balls, rolled in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon, then placed on baking paper and spaced apart to allow spreading and slight candying of the coating.
Food trends
The cookie is common to Mennonite and Amish communities and was a favorite treat of the Indiana poet James Whitcomb Riley. In recent times, the snickerdoodle has become a popular flavor for other desserts and drinks, including a snickerdoodle cookie latte from Dunkin' Donuts and a coffee creamer from Nestlé Coffee-Mate. Ice cream flavors have also been dedicated to the cookie by brands such as Braum's Ice Cream and Prairie Farms.
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