New York Times Snickerdoodle Food

GINGERBREAD SNICKERDOODLES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, molasses, and 1 cup sugar on medium speed until creamy and smooth, scraping bowl occasionally. With machine running, add eggs and beat until incorporated, scraping bowl occasionally. Turn speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture and beat until just incorporated. (You can make the dough by hand, too: In a large bowl, beat butter, molasses and sugar with a wooden spoon until creamy and smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. While stirring with the spoon, gradually add flour mixture and stir until no traces of flour remain.)
• Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. In medium bowl, mix remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Portion 3/4-ounce (1 1/2 tablespoons) dough by packing dough level into a 3/4-ounce cookie scoop or scooping a rounded ball in a measuring tablespoon. Drop into the cinnamon sugar and roll to coat. Put on a prepared sheet. Repeat with dough and cinnamon sugar, spacing balls 2 inches apart, until sheet is filled.
• Bake until tops crackle and bottoms are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake; the cookies should look dry and set. While first batch bakes, scoop and roll remaining dough, then bake after first batch comes out. Cool completely on sheets on wire racks.

EGGNOG SNICKERDOODLES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar and baking soda, and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, 1 3/4 cups sugar and the salt on medium-high until very smooth and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl, return the mixer to medium speed and add the egg and egg yolks, incorporating each before adding the next. Add the rum extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to beat for another minute or two.
• Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined. (You may want to start by "pulsing" the flour, so that it doesn't go everywhere.) Set the dough aside to hydrate for about 10 minutes while you prepare to bake.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Make the nutmeg-sugar mixture by combining the remaining 1/4 cup/50 grams sugar with the nutmeg in a small bowl.
• Roll the dough into balls, each one the size of a golf ball or about 45 grams, then roll each dough ball in the nutmeg-sugar. Transfer the balls to the baking sheets, about 2 inches apart, and bake 10 to 13 minutes, rotating pans and switching racks halfway through, until slightly puffed and just set.
• Let the cookies cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. These cookies are even better the day after they're made, and will keep for 4 days sealed in an airtight container.