Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 3 tablespoons
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.


• Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl.


• With a mixer, beat together the shortening and butter.


• Add the 1 1/2 cups sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.


• Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.


• Add the flour mixture and blend until smooth. A wooden spoon my be used for mixing


• Mix the 3 tablespoons sugar with the cinnamon in a small bowl.


• Roll the dough, by hand, into 1 1/2-inch balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar.


• Flatten the balls into 1/2-inch thick disks, spacing them evenly on heavy steel cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.


• Bake until light brown, but still moist in the center, about 11 -13 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Note: Using a heavy gauge cookie sheet is a key to making good cookies. Thin metal allows cookies to bake unevenly, often burning the bottoms. Parchment paper helps them slide off without a mess and makes for easy clean-up.