(Skinny) Snickerdoodles

Sometimes we have to go back to the classics.

Classic Movies: The Princess Bride, The Goonies, E.T., The Breakfast Club, Lords of Dogtown...hmm maybe I'm just listing movies I like...

Classic Books: The Picture of Dorian Gray, Great Expectations, The Outsiders, How to Kill a Mockingbird

Classic Cookies: Chocolate Chip, Sugar, Chocolate, Gingersnaps and the forlorn, often forgotten, Snickerdoodle.

Don't you love getting a look at the soft, chewy interior of cookies?

These are not a cookie you want to forget. They're similar to a classic sugar cookie but they have the added bonus of being rolled in cinnamon sugar. I love rolling things in cinnamon sugar. I love eating cinnamon sugar. On everything.

I derailed for a minute. Let's get this train of thought back on track. These cookies are sweet, cinnamony, soft, chewy, and comforting - everything a perfect cookie should be! They also have options to skinny-fy it if you want to have your cookie and eat it (guilt free) too! It's a batch of four small cookies so you're guilt free no matter what. Unless someone charges you with making four delicious snickerdoodles. In that case, you're guilty as charged.

Did I tell you that these cookies are made without a mixer and that they take almost no time at all? Did I tell you that they can be made vegan and/or skinny? Consider yourself informed. 

Oh, the crackly tops kill me every time.

Skinny Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup flour of your choice
• 1/8 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar (optional)
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1.5 Tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 Tbsp milk 
• 1.5 Tbsp butter 
• Additional cinnamon and sugar for rolling (3:1 ratio) 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 330 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment or spray with cooking spray. 
2. Combine the dry ingredients and mix well. 
3. Melt the butter in a small bowl, then stir in vanilla and milk. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well.
4. Form small balls and roll in a cinnamon sugar mixture with a 3:1 ratio, or 2:1, if you prefer. (Example: 3 Tbsp sugar with 1 Tbsp cinnamon). Chill the balls for about 30 minutes in the fridge or put in the freezer for faster chilling. 
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookies will look underdone. Enjoy a warm, cinnamon sugary cookie fresh from the oven!

Skinny Note: You may use whole wheat flour or another flour of your choice. Some have had success with rice flour, etc. You may use a milk of your choice (almond, coconut, skim, 1%, etc. ). You may use a butter substitute such as Earth balance. In place of the sugar in the dough, you may substitute splenda, stevia, sucanat, or evaporated cane juice. 

Makes 4 cookies. Adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie.