Trying to Avoid a Bad Pun about Snickering
Posted by Moose on March 28th, 2006. Filed under: I Live to Eat.Congratulate me, internet. I singlehandedly managed to butcher one of the easiest cookie recipes around. This is a proud day.
As a devotee of all things sugar, I am astonished that last night was my first attempt to mangle a batch snickerdoodles. What doesn’t astonish me is that my first batch has the general consistency of a bouquet of miniature bowling balls. Note: “Bowling ball” is not the desired descriptor of a snickerdoodle.
I used a recipe from Nigella Lawson’s How to Be a Domestic Goddess. I’ve heard tell that some of her proportions are off in the U.S. edition. After feeling that the dough was a bit on the dry side (I gave up on the wooden spoon and used my hands to make the dough stick), I checked some other recipes. The proportions seemed about right. Which means I probably left them in the oven too long. The recipe suggested 15 minutes, these were in for about 18. When eaten warm, the texture was just fine. Sadly, they only stay warm for about 10 minutes. Even I can’t eat an entire batch of cookies in 10 minutes. Well, I can. But no one wants to see a picture of that.
Once cool, they were a little on the leaden side, but butter and cinnamon cure all manner of ills. I’d eat jagged marble if it was slathered in butter and rolled in cinnamon. If you want the full disaster – pictures and all – it’s chronicled here .
If you want to take the challenge and see if you can make your cookies come out of the oven better than mine, go check out Nigella’s recipe for snickerdoodles. (I was going to type it out here, but I don’t want the British cooking goddess to sue me. Does anyone know the protocol for stealing someone else’s recipe for your blog, even if you credit the appropriate goddess?)
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March 28th, 2006 at 11:25 pm
Fantastic pictures. Can’t believe they came out like rock cakes. How looks deceive. Reading Nigella’s recipe, however, I don’t actually believe she ever made snickerdoodles that way and succeeded. I suspect the culprit ingredient was the brown sugar. I would try an older account of the recipe, maybe from a 1950s cook book.
March 29th, 2006 at 9:29 am
Thanks! They are edible (more or less). But I think I might try a different recipe next time, just to see.
April 2nd, 2006 at 6:57 am
Very well written! I have had so many snickerdoodle failures I am starting to suspect a worldwide conspiracy. Just kidding, but I am starting to think that lard is what is needed to get the soft, yet chewy texture.
Last thing – I have a little better luck using a good flexible spatula to cream butter and sugar together. I press the butter/sugar mixture with a smooshing motion against the side of the bowl.
Good luck and keep writing!
April 2nd, 2006 at 11:29 am
Hi expat! Thanks! I will definitely try the spatula tip. That wouldn’t have occurred to me. It’s amazing what doesn’t occur to me. : )