Sometimes, a writer or a reader just needs to kick back with a big cup of coffee (or glass of milk) and a plate of warm cookies. This is Only’s favorite cookie. They come out huge and soft, as long as you don’t overbake them.

Giant Snickerdoodles

Dry Ingredients:
4 1/2 cup Flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

In bowl, stir dry ingredients together.

Wet Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup Crisco
2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract or 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
1 cup buttermilk
(1/2 cup sugar & 2 tablespoon for coating)

In large bowl, beat Crisco with mixer on medium-to-high for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat until mixed, scraping sides. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in vanilla and lemon.

Alternate adding buttermilk and dry ingredients, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Cover bowl and chill at least 4 hours. Lightly grease cookie sheets. Use a 1/4 cup measure or a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop. (Lightly coat scoop with non-stick spray to help prevent dough from sticking.) Scoop dough, roll in sugar/cinnamon mix to coat. Place 3″ apart on cookie sheet. Gently press cookie to 1/2″ thickness. Bake in preheated 375° for 12-14 minutes or until bottoms are a light gold. Transfer to rack to cool. Makes about 24.

This sounds like a lot of work, but trust me, the cookies are well worth the effort!

Tip:
You don’t want to overbake, but don’t underbake either. Underbaked cookies crumble. Just sayin’. The way to avoid this is to pretty much “precisely” measure the dough into “balls.” I use a rounded Kitchen Aid brand 1/4 cup measuring cup and don’t overfill it  This results in almost perfect 4″ cookies perfectly baked (in my old oven it takes a bit longer). I also use a thin metal spatula to move them from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

I don’t remember where I found this recipe but I’ve used it for years. There’s a sandwich shop chain here that makes giant cookies and Only always wanted to eat there–not for the sandwiches but for the giant cookies, and yes, especially the snickerdoodles. At some point, I tumbled across this recipe, gaved it a try and it became a treasured staple–even to the point that I make them for Stormy’s school auctions each fall. I’m featuring MOON SHOT as this week’s title because I can easily picture heaped platters of these cookies at every gathering of the Wolves, their mates and the kids. Click on either picture with the cover or the title and you’ll be whisked off to Books2Read where you can find your fave on-line bookseller. After all the secrecy, betrayal, running, and fighting, they finally find their place in this book and there’s nothing like a platter of warm snickerdoodles to say “Welcome home.” What food says that to you?