These Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies are soft and chewy on the inside with a crisp, cinnamon sugar crackly top. They're so good they should be on every holiday baking list!
Adjust your oven rack to the 2nd or 3rd level position (just above the center), preheat your oven to 350ºF, and line 2 baking sheets with either parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
1 ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon All-Purpose Flour, 1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar, ½ teaspoon Baking Soda, ⅛ teaspoon Salt
Using your hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the vegetable shortening, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and egg on medium-high speed.
¼ cup Vegetable Shortening, ¾ cup Granulated Sugar, 1 Large Egg, ¼ cup Unsalted Butter
Add in the whisked dry mixture and mix together until just combined.
Using a 1 tablespoon-size cookie scoop or spoon, scoop and shape the dough into 1-inch size balls. Roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture, then place on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350ºF. The cookies will puff up when baked, but will flatten as they cool. I recommend taking them out on the earlier side for a softer, chewier cookie. They should be golden brown on the edges, but look slightly under baked in the center
Transfer to a cookie sheet to allow the cookies to cool completely. Keep a slice of bread with the cookies in an airtight container to keep them nice and soft.
Notes
You can use ½ cup unsalted butter or ½ cup vegetable shortening (butter flavored or regular) instead of ¼ cup of each ingredient as shown above in the recipe.For a softer, chewier cookie, I recommend taking them out at the earlier recommended baking time. They might look slightly underbaked in the center, but they will continue to bake as they cool. For reference, I took mine out at the 8-minute mark.Recipe adapted from A Recipe Sampler by St. Andrew's Evangelical Lutheran Church.