Snickerdoodles
For the weird holiday season, plus some Thanksgiving ideas...
First order of business: Rad Dishes, the original food blog, is no more — but the sleeker highlights site I promised is here! It will get updated every few months or so as I come up with new recipes for this newsletter.
Next: I’m sending this newsletter a little earlier than usual due to the strange holiday weekend ahead. It is by no means an understatement to say that 2020 has been a really weird (largely terrible) year. And now we’re heading into a holiday season that could be pretty bleak, depending on how people behave while we’re in the midst of this pandemic. So it was hard to decide what I should share next… should I be sharing something Thanksgiving-themed? (I’ll be linking to some stuff I’m going to try making below the actual featured recipe, which is part of why I’m sending this early.) Something more Christmassy?
I finally settled on these snickerdoodles, which — while made during less socially distant times in years past — feel appropriate as a pick-me-up, something to do as a household activity, or something you could share by dropping them off safely. I hope they bring you some cheer during this difficult year, and while I may do at least one more baking recipe in December, I promise some savory recipes will return soon.
RECIPE: Snickerdoodles
I first made these snickerdoodles, adapted via NYT Cooking, while visiting my cousin a few years ago — they were part of a one-day baking extravaganza that also involved a particularly indulgent chocolate layer cake (we wound up dropping off servings to other relatives). I have since made them for some holiday functions… and also just for myself.
Ingredients
Yields about 30 cookies (I had 31 specifically) using a 2-teaspoon cookie scoop
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
1. Heat the oven at 375 degrees F. Whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Using either a stand mixer or standard hand mixer, beat together the butter and 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/4 cup brown sugar, in a bowl until the mixture is fluffy (for about two minutes), scraping down the sides as needed.
3. Beat in the egg until the mixture is creamy, and then add the vanilla extract, once again scraping down the sides when needed. Add the flour-based mixture to this mixture, then beat on low until just combined.
4. Place the cookie dough in the freezer for about 8 to 10 minutes.
5. After removing dough from the freezer, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl. Use a 2-teaspoon cookie dough scoop (or use a spoon/ hands to approximate the size) to create small balls of cookie dough. Roll each cookie dough ball in the cinnamon/sugar mixture.
6. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and transfer the dough to those sheets, placing them about two to three inches apart. Bake the cookies until they're just done and dry in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. After the cookies have cooled a little bit, transfer them to a rack to let them cool down completely.
Notes
Adapted from NYT Cooking.
Food for Thought
I’ve used every holiday this year as an excuse to make something interesting and feel like milestones still exist in some form. A couple of weekends ago, for Diwali, I made the dal makhani from Meera Sodha’s Made in India (I love all her books), plus some other traditional sides via my mom, and my friend’s at-home trick for making ras malai.
So this year, we are doing Thanksgiving even though it’s just the two of us. I’ve only made Thanksgiving dinner occasionally, so I’m still developing a go-to list of recipes for the occasion. My husband will tackle a small turkey we’ve preordered while I do the sides, but in years past, I’ve made my mother’s tandoori chicken recipe (now on the streamlined Rad Dishes site). This Apple Pomegranate Harvest Salad I made last year, via A Simple Palate, was delicious. I roasted these really basic, but delicious Ina Garten Brussels sprouts last year, and I’ll be doing it again.
A couple of new things for this year: I’m going to try stovetop mac and cheese from Gimme Some Oven and cut the recipe in half. And I’m also going to attempt this slow cooker stuffing (dressing for the nitpickers), which I’m thinking I’ll reduce by about a fourth. If you’re still figuring out your final menu, maybe you’ll want to try them too?
Bites of Culture
What I’m Watching:
The last few weeks have been all about Friday nights, where we watch The Great British Baking Show (Bake Off) and The Mandalorian while treating ourselves to takeout. We resumed what is an ER rewatch for me, though we’re only on the tail end of season five with… 10 more seasons to go. Also, I absolutely destroyed the two seasons of Harley Quinn on HBO Max and I am very excited another season is coming! And yes, I am watching the new season of The Crown, in addition to being entertained by The Undoing on Sunday nights…
I’ve been reading and listening to a few assorted things, but no real clear recommendations come to mind… so more on that another time! I just wrapped up work on another knitted sweater, so TV ended up being my main source of entertainment as it’s the perfect background activity.
Thanks for reading this edition of Rad Dishes! You can follow me on Instagram and Twitter. The original Rad Dishes has risen from the ashes as a highlights website/blog, so check it out for some of my favorites (fresh stuff will come as the newsletter continues).
Earlier Newsletters
Strawberry or Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies