Chocolate Snickerdoodles, Whaatt?!

I love to put my own twist on something that is generally familiar to people, I enjoy their reactions to the new flavor in an old favorite, or their surprise at how familiar they are with a recipe that they did not recognize in its new clothes.

Today’s fun; Chocolate Snickerdoodles. These are a thick chocolate cookie that you’ll know is familiar by the bite, but can’t quite place why.

I learned how to make snickerdoodles in 7th grade at school, but I can’t quite recall why we learned this. I did retain the recipe for all of these years, but the recipe uses a box cake mix and I try extremely hard not to use those. Although there are good, natural alternatives these days. (I really like Arrowhead Mills, Organic.)

For years I didn’t share this recipe with others because it was my ace in the hole. Everyone loved them, but had never tasted them before. I always kept a box of cake mix in the pantry in case I needed to impress someone on the fly.

I finally stopped being lazy and figured out how to make these from scratch about a year ago.

**Here’s a little throw back to how to be “that woman”: scoop them, roll them in sugar mixture and then place them in a zip lock freezer bag and toss them into the freezer.  At any given time you can have ‘holy cow, these are amazing’ cookies with only a 15 minute thaw time.

Chocolate Snickerdoodles

** If you need to cheat a little with a cake mix, keep scrolling.  I got your back. I won’t tell a soul.

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Mixture for rolling cookies:

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon cinnamon
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (325 Convection).

Whip butter, sugar, cream of tartar, vanilla and salt until light.  Using a mixer with the paddle attachment is easiest here, but a wooden spoon and a bowl will do just fine.

Add the cocoa and egg; mix only until combined.

Add baking powder, baking soda and flour.  Mix only until combined.  Do not over mix.  Will be dry and crumbly.

Scoop into 4 oz balls.  Roll in sugar and cinnamon.

Bake 5/6 minutes, turn pan and bake 4/5, centers will still be very soft.

Let cool on cookie sheet.

 

Makes 8 really large (amazing) cookies.

Cake Mix Option (easiest with little helper hands)

1 package cake mix

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg

Rolling Mixture:

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Dump the mix into a bowl. Add the butter and mix until combine with a wooden spoon. Mix in the egg.  Scoop, roll and bake as above.