This sweet and simple recipe for cinnamon sugar cookies will have you wanting one for each hand. The perfect old-fashioned snack.
So, you all who have been reading my blog for a while know that my favorite cookies in the world are my grandma’s molasses cookies.
Oh, those cookies. Simple but purely perfect with a sweet molasses taste and just the right amount of sugar coating. They remind me of being a kid running around my grandparents’ Vermont farm, and from what I have heard from all the sweet comments on this post, they create the same sweet memories for a lot of folks.
Which made me want to come up with another sweet but simple cookie that could be friends with those molasses cookies.
Yes, this is me in my leopard print bathing suit at the brook on the farm. Now there is pretty much nothing I haven’t told you about myself. Sharing one’s history with leopard print bathing suits is a true sign of devotion.
Anyway…all cookies I make are therefore judged against the gold standard of those molasses cookies, and while nothing ever equals them, these cinnamon babies come dang close.
They are the same general concept…simple sugar cookies that are rolled into a ball shape, rolled in cinnamon sugar, flattened with the bottom of a glass and then baked.
They come out with a homey slightly cracked surface that will zap you right back to being 4 years old with your grandma’s warm cookies into your hands…one for each hand, she always said.
A couple of words about this recipe. When you finish mixing up the dough it’s going to look like a bunch of crumbs…don’t worry!
You’re going to scoop in up in tablespoon amounts and squish and roll it into round balls of dough. If you play some James Taylor in the background, this is almost therapeutic.
Then roll them in cinnamon sugar, flatten them a little, bake and cool, and make SURE you eat one while they are still warm. Maybe two. One for each hand.
Then call your grandma and tell her you love her. I sure do love mine.
PrintCinnamon Sugar Cookies
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 40 to 48 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
- 1 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup sugar for topping
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Mix flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
- Cream butter and sugar together in a mixer until they are light and fully combined – you will probably have to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times.
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add the flour and mix until it is combined. The dough is going to look like large crumbs – don’t worry!
- Scoop out level tablespoonfuls of the dough and squeeze and roll it together into balls.
- Combine the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar with the cinnamon and roll the dough balls in the cinnamon sugar until they are coated completely.
- Place the cookie dough balls 2 inches apart on parchment-lined cookies sheets. Flatten them gently with the bottom of a glass, and sprinkle with any extra cinnamon sugar.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Tops should be crackly and a little puffy. Cool for 2-3 minutes on cookie sheets and then cool on racks. Make sure you eat one (or two!) while they are still warm!
Rhonda Winkle says
Going to make these soon but are they soft and chewy? If not how can I make them that way?
Ah, the age-old question! These cookies definitely are a little crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, but you can help the soft and chewiness along by lowering the cooking temperature a little (down to 325), using light colored cookie sheets instead of dark ones, and by chilling the dough in the fridge before you bake them for about an hour. All of these will help to hold in a little more moisture, which helps with the softness factor. Happy cookie baking!
Dara says
Is the cream necessary?
do you mean the cream of tartar? Yes it is. :)
Debby says
Now I see where the “cute as a button” gene started, and you still rock it!
This recipe is perfect! Every year I make myself crazy trying to make the best treats when the best ones are really the homey ones.
Kate says
Aw! Thanks! :) And yes, I agree one million percent on the homey treats. :)
Suzanne Perazzini says
What a fab photo of you as a wee nipper. It’s lovely to hear your connection to what you cook.
Kate says
Thanks Suzanne! I think some of the best recipes are the ones that come with happy memories. :)
southern husband says
nice writing, love the image of yourself in the leopard suit, beautiful smile, also dig the reference to JT.
marissa @ the boot says
how cute are you! such an adorable photo. and these cookies are going very quickly into my to-make folder. :) have a great weekend!
Kate says
You too, Marissa!
Joanne says
So…they’re kinda like snickerdoodles? Which means they’re heavenly in every way.
You look adorable in your leopard print! Every girl’s got one in her past. Own it.
Kate says
You know, you are right! (If only it still fit!) :)