Super-Soft Snickerdoodle Cookies

I tend to avoid making cookies for several reasons.  First, although they seem simple enough for a child to put together, they rely pretty heavily on exact measurements (something I tend to be a bit impatient for) to turn out.  Second, bite-sized desserts can be a bit of a pitfall around these parts.  Finally, if I'm going to eat a cookie, it needs to be soft.

I can maintain strong willpower against Oreos and Chips Ahoy, Nutter Butters and Nilla Wafers, but if you put a chewy cookie in front of me, I'm hard pressed to resist.  I am one to purposely underbake any cookie I make, but oftentimes, those don't even turn out very well.  Intentionally chewy cookie recipes are a bit of a holy grail for me. 

This snickerdoodle recipe not only turned out soft and delicious, but the cookies remained irresistibly chewy for days afterward.  With the faint hint of cinnamon and nutmeg, they hint of the holidays to come but feel very appropriate for Fall.  I'm thankful that half the batch went to a neighbor who just had a baby and another portion of the dough was frozen for later.  Otherwise, there would have been little willpower to keep me in check.

Super Soft Snickerdoodle Cookies
makes about 3 dozen cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3-4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cinnamon sugar:
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Heat the oven to 425°F. Gently melt the butter in a saucepan or in the microwave and let it cool while you mix the dry ingredients. Stir together the flour, spices, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Whisk the sugar into the cooled butter until smooth.  Stir in the eggs into the butter-sugar mixture and add the vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring just until it comes together, adding more flour as necessary until dough is able to be shaped into balls.
In a shallow bowl, mix together the white sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Form small 1 1/2-inch balls of dough and roll them in the cinnamon sugar. Place them on an unlined, ungreased baking sheet and flatten slightly. Bake for 7 minutes then remove and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove to a wire rack.
The dough can be refrigerated for up to 5 days, well-wrapped. It can also be frozen in logs.

Recipe Source: The Kitchn.com's Super Soft Snickerdoodle Cookies

P.S. After all this sugar, I am looking forward to posting soon about some really delicious and HEALTHY vegetarian burritos...this dessert thing has gotten a bit out of hand lately.  Thinking I need to rekindle my relationship with Jillian Michaels stat!