Snickerdoodles

On my list of favorite cookies, the humble snickerdoodle is in the top three (just under oatmeal-rasin and peanut butter). They are so bad for you...infused with butter and encrusted with sugar...but I figure that if you are eating cookies in the first place, you arent' too terribly worried about nutrition.

Go on, you know you love them. You know you want them. Why not whip up a batch this weekend?

Trav's Snickerdoodles

• 1 stick of butter (not margarine)
• 3/4 C sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1-3/4 C all-purpose flour
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 pinch of ground nutmeg
• 2 T. sugar
• 1 t. ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, and blend until smooth.

Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. Add to the butter/egg mixture. Stir until completely blended (dough will be very stiff).

Mix the remaining 2 T. of sugar with the 1 t. of ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Shape the cookie dough into 1-inch balls and roll gently in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 13 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE.

Makes 2 dozen.

TIPS:

Do not use margarine or shortening. This recipe needs (repeat, needs) real, creamery butter.

Do not use artificial vanilla, either. It will work, I suppose, but you won't get that wonderful fragrence while they are cooking.