Snickerdoodles are classic American cookies, beloved for their cinnamon-sugar coating, crisp edges, and soft, chewy centres. The origins of snickerdoodles are debated, possibly from German Schneckennudeln, where cinnamon sugar is a common feature, or as an offshoot of New England butter cookies in the late nineteenth century. The first known printed recipe appeared in the Tribune in 1891, attributed to Cornelia Campbell Bedford, who was a cookbook author and columnist at the newspaper.
An important ingredient in making snickerdoodles is cream of tartar, which gives the cookies their subtle, signature tang. Since the invention of baking powder, cream of tartar is seldom used in Western baking today. I also like to make the cinnamon sugar with demerara sugar here, for its rounded, caramel sweetness.
"Spiced: Recipes Celebrating Spices from Around the World" by Priya Mani is published by Phaidon (Photography: Chris Tonneson)