Cooking corner: snickerdoodles

By VIRGINIA OSELLA

Everyone loves fresh cookies, and with a name like “snickerdoodles,” how can these not be good? As the semester comes to a close, this quick and easy recipe will make a great study snack.

It also might come in handy if you think a professor needs that extra reminder that you’re his or her favorite student.

As long as you keep basic baking ingredients in your kitchen, you will have everything you need. Have some extra cinnamon and sugar on hand in case you run out as you roll the cookie dough in it before baking. (Any leftover cinnamon sugar is the perfect topping for French toast.)

The way to check if they’re ready is to see if the bottom is brown. The perfect snickerdoodle will be a little crunchy on the outside, but still soft on the inside.

If you’ve never made cookies from scratch before, now’s the time to start.

Ingredients:
1 2/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tb. cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a bowl, mash butter and sugar together until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla, and mix until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture, and stir until well combined.

Mix cinnamon and sugar on plate. Roll a spoonful of dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in cinnamon sugar mixture and place on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 to 20 minutes. Makes about 30 cookies.