The Sweet History of the Snickerdoodle (2024)

FAQs

The Sweet History of the Snickerdoodle? ›

The cinnamon cookie that we know and love was likely brought to America by Dutch-German immigrants, cookbook author Ann Byrn says in American Cookie. While they were always popular in Mennonite and Amish baking communities, their popularity skyrocketed in 1891.

A few cookbooks explain that snickerdoodles are German in origin. They state that the cookie's name comes from the German word shneckennudel (which is a kind of cinnamon bun). Others trace its origin to New England's tradition of whimsical cookie names.

The cookie is common to Mennonite and Amish communities and was a favorite treat of the Indiana poet James Whitcomb Riley. In more recent times, the snickerdoodle cookie has transformed into a popular flavor of desserts, sugary sweets, drinks, candies, etc.

Meaning of snickerdoodle in English

a type of cookie made from butter or oil, sugar, salt, and flour, and covered in sugar and cinnamon (= a spice made from the bark of a tropical tree): The honey cinnamon almonds tasted like a snickerdoodle.

The Oxford English Dictionary Describes the etymology as “uncertain." They suggest it is perhaps a combination of the words snicker, a smothered laugh, and doodle, a silly or foolish fellow.

Pizzelles are the oldest known cookie and originated in the mid-section of Italy. They were made many years ago for the “Festival of the Snakes” also known as the “Feast Day of San Domenico” in the village of Colcullo in the Italian region of Abruzzo.

“Snickerdoodles, also called snipdoodles or cinnamon sugar cookies, have been around since the late 1800s. They probably originated in New England and are either of German or Dutch descent.

Word History

Note: An alternative etymology derives the word from Palatinate German dialect Schneckennudel, Scheckennurel, Schleckenu^rrl "sweet pastry made from yeast dough twisted into a spiral" (from Schnecken "snail" and Nudel "dough in various forms"), with variants in other dialects (Baden, Swabia, Saarland).

Yes they do have an expiration date printed on the box. I buy a dozen boxes each December to last the year which is when the expiration date is on mine.

Snickerdoodles might turn out hard if they are overbaked or if the dough is too dry. Be sure to keep an eye on them as they bake – when the edges are set but the centers are still soft and puffy, they are done. Also, make sure you're not adding too much flour.

What is the difference between a sugar cookie and a snickerdoodle? ›

Snickerdoodle cookies have a unique flavor profile due to the addition of cream of tartar and cinnamon, which gives them a slightly tangy and spicy taste. In contrast, sugar cookies have a more neutral, buttery flavor with a hint of vanilla.

Cream of tartar is what gives snickerdoodles that tanginess. I've found that a lot of people are very sensitive to the tangy flavor of cream of tartar and the bitter, metallic flavor baking soda can have.

When cookie dough is too sticky, you may have an imbalance of wet and dry ingredients. You can fix this by adding a teaspoon of flour or cornstarch at a time until your dough is just how you want. The added flour or cornstarch will absorb the excess liquid and reduce the dough's overall stickiness.

Why are my snickerdoodles flat? Snickerdoodles can come out flat if 1) the leaveners you used (for this recipe, it's both the baking soda and the cream of tartar) are on the old side and no longer work, and 2) if you baked them at a lower temperature. First, figure out if it's your leavener.

Improper flour measurement is the #1 cause of your cookie dough being too dry or the cookies tasting like flour.

While both cookies share some similar base ingredients, the addition of cream of tartar and cinnamon in snickerdoodle cookies sets them apart from traditional sugar cookies.

Half-moon cookies can be traced to Hemstrought's Bakery in Utica, New York, who started baking half-moons around 1925. Half moons are still very popular in Utica, and local media often debates which bakery makes the best half-moons. Half-moons are often frosted higher on one side than the other.

The Dutch word "koekje" was Anglicized to "cookie" or cooky. The earliest reference to cookies in America is in 1703, when "The Dutch in New York provided...'in 1703...at a funeral 800 cookies...'"

Almost all recipes call for a combination of cream of tartar and baking soda (an acid and a base); the idea is that when they bake the reaction of these two ingredients will cause the cookies to puff up and then collapse, creating those cinnamon-y cracks on top.