Hi there!
This weekend I have been on my lonesome so I took to the kitchen and filled my days with trying out new types of cookies and biscuits.
To be honest I came home this evening feeling a bit useless at everything and so I sought therapy in the one thing I don't seem to suck at: baking.
Thank God for baking. Had I not possessed the ability to whip up half decent treats I probably would have sulked and moped on the couch all night watching gossip girl and eating a tonne of red liquorice. Then I would have felt bad because I am supposed to be on a diet. Then I probably would have gone on a guilt induced trip to the gym for the second time in a day.
I was going to make oaty chocolate chip biscuits. But that would have involved going to the supermarket to buy chocolate (funnily enough I did end up at the supermarket to buy tuna where I bumped into Mel who I then followed to the library to see Bryn. Talk about a detour. Did I mention this was 10pm at night?)
Right where was I? Ah I opened my Hummingbird book to see if there was anything new and exciting to make when I stumbled across this snickerdoodle recipe.
I had heard of snickerdoodles before, from numerous American TV and movie references. I didn't actually have any idea what they were though.
Turns out they are a dense but fluffy vanilla biscuit with a hint of cinnamon, coated in a crust of more cinnamon and sugar to create a crunchy yet fluffy spicy biscuit. They are delicious.
When I looked at the recipe I had everything I needed already in my extensive baking cupboard. What is even better is that they only use 60g of butter, so they are sort of in the low fat department with only around 4g of butter per cookie (lets not get started on the sugar - lets assume you burn that off in an instant :)).
This recipe does call for cream of tartar, I know it is not something you use often but it is super cheap to buy and only use a couple of times. Cream of tartar, or potassium bitartrate acts as a stabilising agent and a crystal forming preventative agent. It also helps to activate baking soda in baking powder.
Right lets get onto the cookie making shall we?
Snickerdoodles
(from the Hummingbird Bakery's Cake Days)
Makes 12-14
For the dough:
60g softened butter
160g caste
r sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
240g plain flour
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the coating:
1 1/2 tablespoons caster sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and beat until the volume almost doubles.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cream of tartar and cinnamon and add this to the egg mixture in around three lots, beating well after each addition. Mix well until the mixture becomes a thick dough.
Cover the bowl with glad wrap and leave to rest in the fridge for half an hour.
While the dough rests, preheat the oven to 170 degrees bake (150 if on fan bake).
Prepare the coating by mixing the caster sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
Once the dough is firm, roll into walnut sized balls then coat well with the cinnamon and sugar mix.
Place on a baking tray and press down slightly with the back of a spoon, just to flatten them into fat discs. Space the dough balls evenly with around 5cm between each ball.
Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the cookies are a light golden colour.
Allow to cool slightly before munching down on them :)
I hope you enjoy these :) they are really easy, pretty much fool proof and are a nice crispy change from the usual bickie :)
Enjoy!
TTFN!
Sophie x
This weekend I have been on my lonesome so I took to the kitchen and filled my days with trying out new types of cookies and biscuits.
To be honest I came home this evening feeling a bit useless at everything and so I sought therapy in the one thing I don't seem to suck at: baking.
Thank God for baking. Had I not possessed the ability to whip up half decent treats I probably would have sulked and moped on the couch all night watching gossip girl and eating a tonne of red liquorice. Then I would have felt bad because I am supposed to be on a diet. Then I probably would have gone on a guilt induced trip to the gym for the second time in a day.
Right where was I? Ah I opened my Hummingbird book to see if there was anything new and exciting to make when I stumbled across this snickerdoodle recipe.
I had heard of snickerdoodles before, from numerous American TV and movie references. I didn't actually have any idea what they were though.
Turns out they are a dense but fluffy vanilla biscuit with a hint of cinnamon, coated in a crust of more cinnamon and sugar to create a crunchy yet fluffy spicy biscuit. They are delicious.
When I looked at the recipe I had everything I needed already in my extensive baking cupboard. What is even better is that they only use 60g of butter, so they are sort of in the low fat department with only around 4g of butter per cookie (lets not get started on the sugar - lets assume you burn that off in an instant :)).
This recipe does call for cream of tartar, I know it is not something you use often but it is super cheap to buy and only use a couple of times. Cream of tartar, or potassium bitartrate acts as a stabilising agent and a crystal forming preventative agent. It also helps to activate baking soda in baking powder.
Right lets get onto the cookie making shall we?
Snickerdoodles
(from the Hummingbird Bakery's Cake Days)
Makes 12-14
For the dough:
60g softened butter
160g caste
r sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
240g plain flour
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the coating:
1 1/2 tablespoons caster sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and beat until the volume almost doubles.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cream of tartar and cinnamon and add this to the egg mixture in around three lots, beating well after each addition. Mix well until the mixture becomes a thick dough.
Cover the bowl with glad wrap and leave to rest in the fridge for half an hour.
While the dough rests, preheat the oven to 170 degrees bake (150 if on fan bake).
Prepare the coating by mixing the caster sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
Once the dough is firm, roll into walnut sized balls then coat well with the cinnamon and sugar mix.
Place on a baking tray and press down slightly with the back of a spoon, just to flatten them into fat discs. Space the dough balls evenly with around 5cm between each ball.
Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the cookies are a light golden colour.
Allow to cool slightly before munching down on them :)
I hope you enjoy these :) they are really easy, pretty much fool proof and are a nice crispy change from the usual bickie :)
Enjoy!
TTFN!
Sophie x