sick days & a recipe for oodles of snickerdoodles
Do you ever wonder what other people were like as children? Were they as rambunctious, outspoken, or shy as they are now? Were they little troublemakers, or was there a perpetual glow of a halo sitting atop their heads?
I was thinking about that over the weekend. First of all, because it was my birthday last week, and of course getting older makes one think of being young {or… more accurately, not that young}. Secondly, because I caught myself a nasty cold, and I am the worst, worst sick person. When I was a kid, I wouldn’t even stay home from school if I were sick, unless it was a borderline plague-like illness. Even then, I’d bug my mom or dad {whoever had the unfortunate task of staying home to entertain take care of me} to play Scrabble or Nintendo with me, or to bake a batch or two of cookies. My mom would make chicken soup and toast sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, and I would dance around the house, sniffling, sneezing, and whining about being bored.
Not much has changed.
The only difference, really, is that since I’m older I am often left to my own devices when I am sick. Instead of begging my parents to entertain me, I occupy my time by baking, unpacking our new home, planning parties, and whining about being bored {okay, so that part hasn’t changed}.
Now I make my own chicken soup. And instead of having cinnamon toast, I opt for snickerdoodles {because I’m crazy like that}… these ones in particular. The original recipe is from Cooking Light, but I’ve altered it so it’s a little healthier, and a bit heartier in the cinnamon department.
So tell me… what were you like when you were a kid, and how {if at all} have you changed?
Oodles of Snickerdoodles
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light
Makes 24 cookies
Ingredients:
COOKIES
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole-wheat flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon honey
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
TO FINISH
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, whisk flours, baking soda, cream of tartar, and cinnamon together.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the butter, honey, vanilla, and egg, and mix just until smooth. Stir in the dry ingredients and beat on low until combined. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
4. TO FINISH: Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Shape the dough into 24 walnut-sized balls and toss them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat. Place on the parchment-lined sheets, two inches apart. Press down on the balls of dough with the bottom of a glass to flatten. Bake, one sheet at a time, in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, and then cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.