January 14, 2014

Salted Snickerdoodles

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This is the recipe that started me on salt with my desserts.

This snickerdoodle recipe is melt in your mouth, cinnamon and sugar heaven.  The snickerdoodle itself is firm enough to hold, but once you bite into it, the soft inside just melts in your mouth. 

And now it is sprinkled with sea salt.

(It is not sprinkled with sprinkles however.  I know it is totally not fair to put sprinkles in a photo of a sprinkle-less cookie.  It just isn't.  However, my lighting was horrible, I was running out of time, and I had no good ideas for props.  None.  So sprinkles saved the day!  But they aren't in the cookies.  #foodbloggerproblems)

 

Have you ever found a product that you just fell in love with instantly?  I've had that moment several times this week.  But after telling Mom how much I liked this mini wheat crunch cereal, she kind of laughed and told me they were discontinuing it.  Oh, ok.  I guess that happens.  But then it happened again.  And then again!  I was complaining to Mom everything I like no one else does.  She told me maybe that says something about my taste.

Burn. (It was really funny actually)

Thank goodness salt is not one of those products.  Take away my cereal, my granola bars, my pasta sauce, but leave me my salt, okay?


(It really bugs me that this picture doesn't match the others, but oh well, it was the sharpest)

Salt and sugar - I thought they shouldn't be best friends and so I kept them separated lo these many years. 

But, I had a spontaneous baking time with my friend (I don't think we've ever followed a recipe together ... and when we did it didn't work.  I will never eat cream puffs again.)  Anyways, we decided to bake with my little siblings and thought it would be fun to make a braided yeast bread.  We didn't have enough time to let dough rise, so we needed something faster.  Why not cookie dough?  Why not try braiding cookie dough?  (Um, because it doesn't work - but we didn't think of that.  Or I didn't.)  And then, since we were braiding them into pretzel shapes, why not sprinkle coarse sugar on top?  But I didn't have any, so on went the kosher salt, just for looks.


Oh my goodness, it is SO much more than looks.

That salt made these snickerdoodles so.darn.good.  I can't explain the science of why or find the right words to describe the flavors. 

All I can say is try it.  You will like it.  I promise.  It's worth being the third wheel with salt and sugar's new bestie status.


Salted Snickerdoodles
Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life
Yield: 2-1/2 dozen

1 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2-2/3 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. cream of tarter
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt


Cinnamon sugar mixture 

A coarse salt (sea or kosher)

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

Beat together the shortening and sugar.  Beat in eggs.  
Stir in flour, cream of tarter, soda and salt.  
Form into tablespoon sized balls.  Roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture.  Place on ungreased baking sheet and slightly flatten each cookie.  
Sprinkle with coarse salt.
Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.  Remove from oven even if they look underbaked. Cool before eating. 

38 comments:

  1. I think almost all sweets should have a pinch of salt -- it makes them so much better! These look amazing. :)

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    1. Don't tell me that! Just kidding, you're right Marice; thanks!

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  2. Pinning immediately! Everytime I have made snickerdoodles in the past, they always fall flat. Can't wait to try these, they look delicious!

    Graham // glazedandconfused.us

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    1. Thanks for pinning! Haha, only a couple cookies should be flat; shortbread and molasses cookies :) Hope you like them!

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  3. I can literally taste the butter melting in my mouth! I add deceiving things to my pictures all the time so no judgment from me ;)

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  4. Wow these look sooo good! :D lol I know what you mean about the props...I'm probably like the least inventive person when it comes to take pictures...I'm still trying to master the perfect lighting..props are bridge I'm not ready to cross yet.

    I have to admit, I try not to use salt whenever possible. Yes. I'm one of 'those'. My guilty pleasure is salted butter on toast :3 But these cookies, I would definitely give a go at....lol thank goodness you don't live in NY we have so many food bans it's not even funny :/

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    1. I think I'm stuck in the middle of the bridge, haha :) Yeah, its probably a good thing I'm here and not in NY!

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  5. Dear Mary Frances, I think salt is the secret ingredient to everything!!
    Don't feel bad, most things I fell in love with are no longer too. This puts the imagination to work to try to overcome with what is at hand.
    The cookies are wonderful.
    Blessings dear. Catherine xo

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  6. Did I hear salted snickerdoodles?? Ohhh this is sweet and salty heaven, they look amazing!
    Don't be so hard on yourself, girl. The pictures are gorgeous, and the sprinkles addition is always a phenomenal one hehe ;--) Have a nice week!

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  7. I think salt is here to stay. How would we cook or add it to desserts? Your pictures were great don't stress about them and those snickerdoodles, look fantastic!

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  8. Spontaneous baking is the best! I wish all of my spontaneous baking resulted in cookies like this!

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    1. Haha, our cream puffs were so bad! :) But these were good. Thanks!

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  9. I love sweet and salty. what a unique idea. Pinning to try soon

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    1. Thank you Krystle! I appreicate the comment and pin!

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  10. hhaha, I don't think salt will be going anywhere. So be rest assured :) I love these cookies...so creative!!

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  11. I love salted desserts. The whole salted caramel phase is still pretty strong in my house. I love snickerdoodles so I can't wait to try these. Totally going on my baking to-do list! Pinned!!

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    1. I never tried the salted caramel, but it is next on my list (it might be dangerous, haha!) Thank you so much for the comment and pin! I really appreciate it!

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  12. Oh my... I love the combination of sweet and savory!! These cookies look divine :)
    xox Amy

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  13. You basically had me by the second sentence, but then you just had to go on and describe the experience in even more detail, didn't you? :P These sound absolutely phenomenal, Mary Frances… Snickerdoodles are one of my favourite winter cookies, but I've never gone the extra mile and added salt. Out of this world. The sweet and salty combo is definitely a dangerous one...

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    1. Haha, thanks Amanda! You would fit right in around here; snickerdoodles are an all time favorite!

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  14. Haha, I happen to love all of your desserts, so I think you have wonderful taste!!! These cookies sound amazing!

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    1. Aw thanks! If only the store would agree ....
      Thanks Ms. Jocelyn!

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  15. This is a great idea--adding salt to a sugar-coated cookie seems like a no-brainer, but I seriously haven't heard of anyone doing it before! Obviously you are a culinary genius ahead of your time. :)

    Also, the story of my life is basically Trader Joe's discontinuing ALLLL of my favorite products, so I feel ya! Stay strong!

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    1. And I don't even go to Trader Joe's! I bet my heart would be broken multiple times a day, huh? :) Thank you so much Liz; YOU are the culinary genius!

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  16. That happens to me too! Find a good lipstick and it's gone when I want to buy another. Boo. These snickerdoodles look so delicious! I haven't made them in like 5 years. Must make again. :)
    Tina at www.tinaschic.com

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  17. I'm not yet on the whole salt-on-sweet dessert boat yet. But I might have already been converted after seeing this post... Will have to try the recipe out! Thanks Mary Frances!

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  18. If you told me five years ago to sprinkle salt on my cookie I would of thought you were nuts. I know better now, that's why my taste buds are begging for these! I can't resist the lure of cinnamon in a soft cookie. That touch of salt pushes the flavor over the top.

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  19. I cannot wait to try this! I LOVE salt on desserts! Brillllllliant!

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  20. These look wonderful, I can't wait to try them! There are two different temperatures listed though. I am assuming they should be baked at 350 instead of 375- is that right? Cheers!

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    1. Thank you for catching that! It actually should be baked at 375. I updated it now; sorry about that! Have a lovely day!

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