Snickerdoodles

The only change I’ve made to grandma’s snickerdoodles replaces shortening with butter and coconut oil—that and a sourdough variation. Learn more at TwiceasTasty.com.
Snickerdoodles have been one of my favorites ever since I raided Grandma Tiny’s cookie jar as a kid. I’d like to say that the recipe I use today, and shared this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon, follows her original one closely, but I can’t be certain: in all the times I watched her bake these cookies, I never saw a cookbook or recipe card. She knew all of the ingredients and measurements by heart.

The only change I knowingly made to her recipe was to replace vegetable shortening with butter and coconut oil, a blend I prefer for pie crust too. I’ve also come up with a sourdough snickerdoodle variation that replaces an egg and some of the flour with sourdough starter. The cookies’ defining tanginess, normally created just by the cream of tartar, becomes even stronger, yet they remain sweet and chewy.
Learn to make Snickerdoodles

Sourdough Cookies

Putting sourdough starter in cookies bumps up against some problems, but you can solve them. Learn more at TwiceasTasty.com.
Sourdough cookies, like last week’s sourdough cracker recipe, have two goals: capture some sour flavor and use your starter. Sourdough’s leavening power doesn’t take charge: you’re still relying on baking soda, baking powder, or both to create the cookies’ shape. That puts them in the same category as Sourdough Pancakes, Sourdough Waffles, and quick breads.

But unlike those baked goods, putting sourdough starter in cookies bumps up against some problems. Most cookies have a low hydration level—they have little or no added liquid. The “wet” ingredients they do have usually contain fats, proteins, and other elements that balance the cookie recipe. This week, I focus on things I’ve learned about baking cookies with sourdough and the best recipes to use with your starter.
Learn to make sourdough cookies