Snickerdoodling back to reality

Okay, I've been away too long -- it was the election. It subsumed my life.

But now, what do you know? It's a lovely day (even though it was cold and gray today) life is beautiful and I'm craving Snickerdoodles.

We have my Omnivore's Mom to thank for this recipe, which makes 5 dozen cookies, but can be doubled or tripled to make an insane amount of cookies. (Can you "Church Bake Sale"?) Don't laugh. When you try these you'll wish you made the maximum number.Mom has charming stories of the constant stream of neighborhood kids who would troop in her front door, bee-line through the kitchen, grab as many as could possibly fit between thumb and forefinger -- like expert poker players handling a stack of chips-- and continue without pause out the back door. Occasionally, they were even accompanied by members of the family.

Oh they're so yummy.

Mom's Snickerdoodles

(Says Mom: I always told my kids that they had to laugh a little when they ate these cookies-just a little snicker or two-but it was required. Ha-ha.)

Cream together: ( X2) (X3)
1 cup soft shortening (part butter) (2) (3)
1 and 1/2 cups sugar (3) (4 1/2)
2 eggs (4) (6)

1 T. vanilla (2 T.) (3 T.)

Mix together and then add dry ingredients:
2 3/4 cups flour (5 1/2) (8 1/4)
2 tsp. cream of tartar (4) (6)
1 tsp. soda (2) ( 3)
1/4 tsp. Salt (1/2) (3/4)

Roll dough into balls the size of small walnuts. (Approximately a teaspoon of dough)

Roll balls in a mixture of 2 T. sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon.

Place on cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 8-10 minutes. Cookies will puff up and then flatten as they cool. I try very hard not to overbake cookies, so I remove them just a tad on the early side. You want them to be lightly browned but still soft.

Makes about 5 dozen 2-inch cookies.