Sometimes simple is best

Snickerdoodles, Snipdoodles, or Schneckenoodles
The Ugly Binder, copy of recipe given to me by a former coworker, original source unknown

1 cup soft butter
1 ½ cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
¼ cup milk
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Topping
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons cinnamon

Cream the butter well, then cream in the sugar and vanilla. Beat in the eggs. Add the milk and the flour sifted with the salt, soda and cream of tartar. Stir to combine well, easiest down with an electric mixer. Form into rolls about 1 inch in diameter and chill in the refrigerator. Cut off in 1-inch lengths and roll in the palms of hand to form balls. Drop in the mixture of cinnamon and sugar, or dip only one side of the ball in the mixture and bake dipped side up. Place on a buttered cookie sheet or baking pan, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. (These cookies can also be made without chilling the dough. When mixed, dip up with a greased teaspoon, scrape off with the back of another greased teaspoon onto buttered pans, then sprinkle the tops with sugar and cinnamon.) Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven until a delicate brown around the edges, about 10 minutes. Loosen from the pans while still warm.

Makes about 40 to 45 cookies.

Snickerdoodles are just a chewy sugar cookies, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. So simple yet so good. I like to make sure that there are a few simple cookies on my cookie trays. I got this recipe from a woman I used to work with, after she brought them in for a cookie swap.

I usually make these by chilling the dough and rolling it into balls and this time I used my new cookie scoop and scooped out the dough as soon as I made it. They look the same as if I had rolled it and this was much easier.

If you bake a lot of cookies, invest in some good-quality cookie scoops. I wish I had done so years sooner. I had a cheap scoop the past couple of years but nothing beats a good quality scoop. I have 2 - one seems to hold 1 tablespoon and the other 2 tablespoons. I used the 1-tablespoon scoop for these. The Pampered Chef one is actually great, same quality and price as the one I picked up at the local Amish store.