Soft-baked snickerdoodles

Disclosure: Flavor of the Earth provided me with the Ceylon cinnamon; however, all opinions are my own.

  
I have a confession to make.... before this, I had never made snickerdoodles before. Also, I can't really remember ever eating one either (gasp!). I mean, I'm sure I did as a kid or at some point, but I have no recollection of this. As a food blogger, I've been feeling like this is a large oversight on my part that needed to be rectified. Recently, I was given a bottle of Ceylon cinnamon from Flavor of the Earth and I knew it was time for snickerdoodles to enter my life! What better way is there to showcase cinnamon than these classic cinnamon cookies? I can't believe it took me so long, but I'm glad I've finally tried these - they are such a simple yet delicious cookie! Below is my recipe that is adapted from How Sweet It Is and it will make about two dozen cookies. 

  
Have you tried Ceylon cinnamon before? Did you even know that most cinnamon we buy (Cassia) is not really cinnamon?? Here's a bit more information I received from the company: 

Flavor Of The Earth provides Ceylon Cinnamon exclusively via Amazon.  We bring in fresh Ceylon Cinnamon bark from Sri Lanka.  Then in very small batches, we fresh grind the bark into Cinnamon Powder and immediately pack it into flavor pouches to capture the full freshness and health benefits.  And our Ceylon Cinnamon has 1,250 times LESS Coumarin than cassia cinnamon which makes it the safest Cinnamon for consumption. Our Ceylon Cinnamon is also a great source of Manganese, Fiber, Calcium and Iron.  It’s also salt free and no chemicals, pesticides, fertilizer, additives or preservatives are used in growing or harvesting it. Read more about it here.

I was very happy with this cinnamon. It has the aroma of cinnamon candies or fireballs, but a mild and sweeter taste than Cassia. I've used it to make other things like roasted acorn squash, oatmeal, and Mexican brownies -- they've all been delicious! You can read more about the taste differences here.

Flavor of the Earth has been kind enough to offer a free 4-oz. bottle (as in the photo above) to two lucky readers. All you have to do is follow the instructions below for your chance to try some Ceylon cinnamon. You can also purchase it here. 

Soft-baked snickerdoodles

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar, divided

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1-3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

3-1/2 teaspoons Ceylon cinnamon, divided

2 tablespoons milk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat the butter and 3/4 cup sugar using a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well-combined.

Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Mix in the milk until the dough comes together.

Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. Mix the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon in a shallow bowl.

Roll the dough into balls about 1 tablespoon at a time. Place in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and press down to flatten slightly and to help it stick. Place on the baking sheets (cinnamon-sugar side up), about 1-inch apart. Repeat until all the dough is used.

Bake for about 9-11 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for about 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

What was I cooking one year ago?: almond pancakes
Two years ago?: Hot and sour chicken, cabbage, and rice soup
Three?: skillet pasta puttanesca 
4?: lemon tart in a shortbread crust