Back to Basics: Snickerdoodle Cookies

I know we are always on the look out for the latest recipe, the newest craft, the neatest idea to do with our kids.... but it's amazing how we over look the simplest of things. Tonight we made something so very simple - Snickerdoodles. It's not new and exciting, there's no cool colors or sprinkles, but the kids loved it just the same. I really like this recipe because it's so basic, and because it was the first recipe I made on my own when I was a kid. (Which could possibly be why I was a fat child, but we won't go there right now)

So without further babbling, here's one of my favorite cookie recipes:

Snickerdoodles

Mix in large bowl:
- 1 cup shortning or butter*
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla

*I always made this with shortning BEFORE you could buy it in already measured packages. What a pain that was, kids now have it EASY! Tonight we used butter, because I still have shortning nightmares.

In small bowl mix:
- 2 3/4 cup flour
- 2 tsp cream of tarter
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt

Shift in flour mix in big bowl. Preheat oven to 400*. Roll dough into walnut-sized balls, and roll balls in cinnamon and sugar. It took about 1/3 cup of sugar and a light mix of cinnamon, but you will probably use all of it unless you are like me and eat half the dough (I'm pretty sure I saw cookie dough as ok on my list of diet foods, but I could be wrong).

Place cookies on cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 mins.

The kids loved rolling the dough balls in the sugar mixture - this entertained them in the kitchen for a good 20mins. I know it's *boring* without anything special, but sometimes that's all a kid needs I think. :)