But snicker doodles are far and away my favorite cookie. Something about the cinnamon and sugar and the softness. I think really any snicker doodle cooke recipe would work for this. In fact I have only one requirement in snicker doodle recipes. They HAVE to have the cream of tarter. Its essential to the taste. And they have to be borderline under baked to maintain that softness. Thats all.
Now I also love anything with almond. Whether its for eating or smelling. Which is why almond soap is one of the only constant scents you will always see around here. And I love almond croissants and almond paste and the list goes on and on.
So I decided to combine the 2. Now that IS my own original idea, which is why I feel I can share this with you. (I'm sure Im by no means the first one to do this but it gives me a peace of mind in sharing this) So I made a snicker doodle cookie and and almond butter cream filling. And it is even better than the oreos. And pretty much better than any other cookie I've ever tasted. But keep in mind its all my favorite things. If you don't like almonds or snicker doodles, create your own sandwich cookie with your favorite cookies and icing. These don't stack as well, I would probably flatten them a bit with the bottom of a glass to make them a bit easier to stack.
By sharing this recipe, I need to point out that I am not a food blogger. I cook homemade from scratch meals for my family every nite (toot toot) but not because I just love it and am amazing, I do it because I believe in it. I believe in sitting down together as a family and eating a nutritious home cooked meal. Its how I and my husband both grew up. And its a special time together as a family. We share about our day, we enjoy the food, and we have quality family time. Sometimes I almost hate cooking and trying to figure out something different to make. But when Rye was working in ND last year for 8 months we were most lonesome for him when we sat down to our family supper every night, and I realized how important that family time really was. And Im thankful for a mother who taught me how to cook, Ive been cooking for as long as I can remember, and its just second nature now. I don't get to fussy when I cook, its not nearly as hard as many think. And i think measuring spoons and recipes should be pretty much thrown out the window. (or used as grain scoops for the animals) Just start with sautéed onions and garlic in butter and go from there...
Whew, that was long boring tangent. My point is that when it comes to baking, I do use recipes. Theres so many more variables that affect the final outcome. So thats why I can share this recipe. I would have no idea how to tell you how to make gravy or bread, you just do it. But cookies make great recipes to share. And since around here the holidays are all about baking, I find it fun to try new things. Our standards at christmas are, caramels, almond toffee, shortbread, sugar cookies, snicker doodles, almond bark pretzels, toasted almonds, and cinnamon rolls. I'm excited to hopefully add homemade marshmallows and biscotti's to this! I have a major thing for homemade marshmallow ever since our local coffee shop started including them on the top of their lattes. I HATE store bought marshmallows, but homemade ones, from the coffee shop are amazing. So Im going to try it, we will see…
Now we all have our own very favorite recipes. And we think our recipe is the ONLY one to use. I feel this way about my homemade caramels. They are from the same blogger lady I was talking about earlier (NOT the PW) and they are my favorite of all time. I also use her almond toffee, same thing, best Ive ever had. So maybe we just have the same taste. That being said, feel free to use your own snicker doodle recipe. And bear with me through the holidays while I feel I just HAVE to share my favorite recipes. I'll be over it soon I promise, and will go back to selling soap and stuff. In fact I have deodorant coming into the shop soon. I make it with aloe. And look for beer soap and coffee soap and some fun valentines soap and candles and lip balm!! Now for the recipe already. Sorry I gave you so much reading before you got to it. Im nice that way.
Oh and don't go all organic and almond floury (the only almond thing I cant get on board with )and gluten free, its the holidays for petes sake. Live a little. I'm all for the whole gluten, dairy free and sugar free movement, but take a break for the holidays. We are meant to roll around and nap all day from over stuffing ourselves. Its all part of the holidays. And don't turn a cookie into something that tastes like cardboard. Waste of a good cookie I say. Just chew off some of the cardboard boxes your presents come in if you want a gluten and sugar free cookie.
Cookies:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter (there is simply no substitutes that compare to butter)
2 T milk
1 teas. vanilla
2 3/4 c. flour
2 teas. cream of tarter
1 teas. baking soda
3/4 teas. salt (seriously, just do a full one, thats splitting fine hairs)
Heat oven to 400. Combine wet ingredients. I usually start with the ROOM TEMPERATURE butter and sugar and then go from there. (i feel strongly about making cookies with soft butter) Then add your sifted (i never do that) dry ingredients and mix. Shape dough into about 1 inch balls. Roll them in cinnamon and sugar mixture. I don't measure that but I would shoot for about 1/2 cup sugar to 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. i think. (I would also then flatten them a bit for the purpose of this recipe) Bake for 7-8 minutes. Never over bake. Never use a timer. Repeatedly burn them. Put a timer on your christmas list.
Then in your mixer whip 1 cup of ROOM TEMPERATURE butter and
2 cups of powdered sugar (oh yeah)
and almond extract
I started with about a teaspoon of this and tasted and it wasn't near almondy enough so kept splashing it in until I was happy with it. This gives you a great chance to keep eating the butter cream. You will likely have a headache at this point. Keep in mind, you've also ate most of the snicker doodle dough by now. Keep splashing it in until YOU are happy. Mine are VERY almondy. (thats not a word, I know)
Then put a very healthy glob on the backside of one cookie and then find one of similar girth and smash them together until the cream starts running out the sides. This part is fun. Then wrap them in twine and cellophane bags and give one out as a gift and keep the rest for yourself. Thank you for bearing with me through this long and detailed post. I basically just wanted everyone to know WHAT a good cook I am. Haahaaa. (insert HEAVY sarcasm)
I will let you know how the marshmallows turn out….
