We made Snickerdoodle cookies as a family on Sunday evening, and they were gone in a flash. Everybody was craving more today, so we made them again tonight. (Don’t you wish your mom had let you have cookies two nights in a row?) As we made the dough up tonight I was realizing that this is probably among the simplest cookie recipes, and the ingredients are all really inexpensive. Not that chocolate chips really break the bank, but when your watching your pennies every little bit helps, right?

So here is a refresher of my favorite Snickerdoodle recipe — they come out soft, buttery and satisfyingly chewy.

Snickerdoodles

½ cup Butter or Margarine
1 cup Sugar
¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
¼ teaspoon Cream of Tartar
1 Egg
½ teaspoon Vanilla
1-½ cups All-Purpose Flour
2 tablespoons Sugar
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

In a medium mixing bowl beat the butter or margarine with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup of sugar, baking soda and cream of tartar. Beat till combined, scraping sides of the bowl. Beat in the egg and vanilla till combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in the remaining flour until it is combined. Cover and chill one hour. (Cookie dough meant for shaping often needs to be chilled first for easier handling).

Combine the two tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon. Shape dough into one-inch balls. Roll balls in sugar-cinnamon mixture to coat. Place two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 10 to 11 minutes or until edges are golden. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Makes 24 cookies.