Classic Snickerdoodles Recipe - Pinch My Salt (2024)

FAQs

Why are my snickerdoodles salty? ›

According to Czernohorsky and Hooker, a cookie that uses only baking soda will only release half of the carbon dioxide (CO2) produced during baking. The other half of CO2 stays in the cookie. As a result, the cookies will taste salty (or alkaline), can cause stomach aches, and may even be tinted slightly yellow.

If your cookies are coming out flat, it's likely that your oven is too cool, baking the cookies at a lower temperature, and causing them to come out flat.

Snickerdoodles might turn out hard if they are overbaked or if the dough is too dry.

Add an acid to the recipe.

“You can add something acidic, such as lemon juice, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, or processed tomato products to foods to reduce the salty flavor,” says Edwards. “This doesn't reduce the sodium intake, but it does reduce the perception of the salty flavor.”

Excess Sugar and Fat

Measuring is key in baking. If your cookie contains excess sugar or fat, it will spread while baking.

If you reduce the amount of butter or oil in a recipe, your cookies won't spread as much. If you add too much flour, your cookies won't spread as much. If your cookies have more brown sugar than white sugar, they won't spread as much. It's a careful balance.

Keep in mind that more cream of tartar doesn't necessarily mean a better, more stable result. “Too much cream of tartar will impart a metallic, tin-like taste,” Molly warns.

Refrigerating snickerdoodle dough lets the butter resolidify and prevents the cookies from flattening out in the oven. I recommend giving the dough at least 45-60 minutes of chilling time in the fridge before baking.

There are a few things you can do to fix dry and crumbly cookie dough. There are a few things you can do to add liquid to your cookie dough if it is too dry and crumbly. One option is to add milk, water, or another liquid until the dough is the right consistency. You can also try adding melted butter or shortening.

How do you fix runny snickerdoodle dough? ›

Soft – Dough that's “soft” or “runny” can be thickened by adding one or two tablespoons of flour to your mix. This will help keep your batch from “Spreading” and coming out of the oven looking like flat, not-so-cookie-like puddles.

If you enjoy your cookies soft and chewy, chances are likely the recipe contains a common ingredient that serves a very specific purpose. No, it's not granulated sugar, nor the butter. It's not the egg, all-purpose flour, or even the vanilla extract. The simple, yet oh-so-necessary component is cornstarch.

How do you know when the cookies are baked? The snickerdoodle cookies will only take about 10 to 12 minutes to bake, so be sure to keep your eye on them! It's best to rotate the cookies after about 6 minutes so that the cook evenly. The cookies are done when the edges are just set and the centres are soft and cracked.

You can either replace cream of tartar with baking powder at a 1:1.5 ratio (1 teaspoon cream of tartar : 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder), or you can replace cream of tartar with the combination of baking soda and either lemon juice or vinegar (as with this recipe).

Baked goods made without salt will taste flat and boring. Salt enhances and balances flavors, especially sweetness. The proper amount of salt can take a mediocre recipe and make it outstanding. You will notice that all professional kitchens and bakeries use salt in their baked goods.

Salt acts as a natural antioxidant in the dough and not only adds taste but especially helps bring out the flavors and aromas present in the flour and other ingredients. Next to its role in boosting the flavor of your bread, salt plays a role in tightening the gluten structure and adding strength to your dough.

What some taste as “bitterness” in snickerdoodles, others consider “tanginess”, and it comes from the metallic flavors of the cream of tartar and baking soda. If you're particularly sensitive to the tangy flavor, feel free to omit the cream of tartar.

Salt prevents the development of any objectionable bacterial action or wild types of fermentation. Salt assists in oven browning by controlling the fermentation and therefore lessening the destruction of sugar. Salt checks the development of any undesirable or excessive acidity in the dough.