butter crinkle nutmeg cookies vanilla

Tender and buttery, this old-fashioned snickerdoodle cookie recipe is ideal for trying out new flavors like nutmeg in baked goods. Cardamom, long pepper, and black pepper can be substituted by bakers with more adventurous palates. (Nutmeg is comfortingly familiar…it’s pretty fun to watch the faces of people who taste these cookies as they try to figure out just what’s in them…) and citrus zests are wonderful additions as well. (See here for amounts.) Don’t skip the liquid sweetener (agave, honey, etc.) in the ingredients—it helps keep the cookies tender.

1 ¾ cup (200 g.) all-purpose flour
1 tsp. (5 g.) baking soda
½ tsp. (2 g.) baking powder
1/2 tsp. (2 g.) salt
¼ tsp. ground or freshly grated nutmeg
4 oz. (100 g.) butter, softened
1 cup (200 g.) sugar
1 Tbs. agave nectar, honey, Lyle’s syrup, cane syrup or light corn syrup
1 egg
sugar, for rolling cookies

Preheat the oven to 325˚F (170˚C) and coat two baking sheets with cooking spray or line then with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Cream the butter, sugar, and liquid sweetener (agave, etc.) with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in the egg until combined. Add the flour mixture, and beat until a firm dough forms.

Roll the dough into 1-inch (3 cm.) balls. Roll each ball in sugar.

Place the sugared cookie balls at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets, and bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 2 dozen cookies