• Preheat oven to 350℉ and prepare a few baking sheets with parchment paper.

Make the dough

• In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat 1 cup butter for a couple of minutes until smooth. Scraping the sides and bottom a few times in between.
• Add 1⅓ cup sugar and ⅓ cup brown sugar. Beater for 2 minutes, taking time to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl in between.
• Your butter and sugar should be light and fluffy with no chunks at all.
• Add 2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla. Beat well, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl.
• Make sure you beat it long enough that it becomes smooth and homogenous.
• Add 3¼ cups flour (be sure to spoon it into the measuring cup! don't dip your cup into the flour bin, you will pack your flour and end up with too much!)
• Don't mix the flour in yet.
• Use a small spoon ( I use my teaspoon) to stir 1 tsp baking soda, ¾ tsp salt, and 1½ tsp cream of tartar into the flour.
• Gently beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture.
• Don't overdo it!
• There should still be flour streaks when you stop your mixer.
• Use a spatula to scrape down the edges of the bowl.
• Continue beating just a few more seconds until all the flour streaks are gone.
• Be sure not to over mix!
• You want to make sure all the ingredients are combined, but once that is done, STOP mixing.
• Over mixing dough= tough cookies!
• Use a large cookie scoop or spoon to shape the dough. You want dough balls that are about 1½-2 inches across.

Roll the cookies

• In a small or medium bowl, add ⅓ cup sugar and 1½ tbsp cinnamon. Stir together.
• Roll the shaped cookies in the cinnamon-sugar to coat. (Reserves the remaining cinnamon-sugar!)
• Place cookie dough ball on prepared baking sheet with about 2 inches in between them. Typically I can fit 12 cookies on an 11x 17 baking sheet.

Bake the cookies

• Bake at 350℉ for about 9-11 minutes, until the edges are barely set.
• It's ok if the centers of the cookies (about the size of a quarter) are still shiny.
• The rest of the cookie should be matte.
• It's very important to not over bake snickerdoodles; underbaking slightly is what helps give them that soft and chewy texture. (Dry snickerdoodle taste like chalk... Don't be like that.)

Shape the cookies

• Immediately after taking the cookies out of the oven, use a spoon to push the edges of the cookies towards their centers.
• This make the cookies round in shape and makes the center thicker and more chewy
• You have to do this within 30-60 seconds of taking them out of the oven, before the edges harden.
• Enlist help for this step if you can!
• Let the cookies set up on the pan for at least 3-5 minutes.
• Remove the cookies to a wire cooling rack and let cool for a few minutes.
• While the cookies are still warm, but cool enough to handle (not falling apart), place each cookie back in the cinnamon sugar. Coat once side of the cookie, then flip it over and coat the other side.
• This gives you the ultimate cinnamon-sugar edge to your snickerdoodle!
• Enjoy right away with a glass of milk!!

Freezer instructions

• You can freeze this dough and bake later! I like to shape the dough into balls, roll them in cinnamon-sugar, and store them in a ziplock bag. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. I never thaw cookie dough before baking. Just bake straight from frozen and add a couple of minutes to the bake time and Voila!