Snickerdoodles and Home ownership!
What do snickerdoodles have to do with home ownership you may ask? Well…I’ll tell you! Creating memories in a home of your own just can’t be beat! Of course you can create memories anywhere…even in an apartment or basement of your parents…but there’s nothing like having a home of your own to fix up and paint and decorate and love all your own! I mention this because I have some beautiful grandchildren and I am hoping to make snickerdoodles with then today in my own home that I love! I often call my home “the Velveteen Rabbit Home”…if you’ve read the story of the well-loved and worn Velveteen Rabbit who had one missing eye and the fur rubbed off in some places…but he was loved and cared for by the children of the play room! Well, our home is well loved but yet a bit worn in places and “missing it’s fur” (paint) in many places. But as Dorothy of the Wizard of Oz says…there’s “no place like home”. So…I just thought I’d make a pitch for the sweetness of home ownership and what a perfect time it is for first time buyers to get in to their first new home! There are town homes, condo’s and even single family homes all over the Salt Lake Valley for $130,000 or less. You can find condo’s with 2 bedrooms for around $90,000 or less! There are new condos and townhomes in South Jordan and Riverton and Draper has some great deals too! It is just such a great time to buy a home! If you throw in the $8000 home buyers credit for first time home buyers, and the $6500 credit for people who move and buy a new home if they have lived in their previous home at least 5 years, then you just can’t beat this unbelievable value!
If you are thinking of investing…It is such a great time to find an incredible deal on a home that is almost to go to foreclosure…many of the homes on the market are WAY below value and a HUGE advantage when finding a home to rent for the future! I specialize in helping my buyers find just what they are looking for in a new home! So…if you know anyone who is wondering if they could possibly buy their first home, or move up to a new home…please give me their name so I can answer any questions! Many of my buyers are thrilled that it was actually able to happen for them! I am closing today on a darling couple who found the most perfect 3 bedroom townhome with a fully fenced courtyard so they can have their pet home with them again! (the apartment would not allow pets..so Mom was taking care of the cute little pooch!)
Well…I’m going to go make snickerdoodles with my darling grandchildren…Here’s the recipe I thought I’d throw in for good measure! Hope you can create sweet memories wherever you are living right now!
Recipe is from my email from Grit Magazine!
The Recipe
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs (use large, not extra-large)
2 tsp vanilla
2-3/4 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbls. sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
Heat oven to 400. Mix the butter and shortening thoroughly (by hand!) … yes, it is a strange feeling to cream by hand. But hey, the pioneers must have done it, right? I don’t think they had any hand mixers in the 1800s.
After you’ve mixed the shortening and butter, add the sugar and cream further. Add eggs and vanilla.
In separate bowl, mix the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture.
Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a small plastic bag. Shape dough into rounded teaspoons – I make mine a little bit larger because we like big cookies – and shake balls lightly in plastic bag with sugar/cinnamon mixture.
Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. I use parchment paper and airbake cookie sheets for the most even baking.
Bake 6-10 minutes, depending on your preference. If you prefer a crispier cookie, then bake for 8 mins or more. I baked mine 6-1/2 minutes for a soft middle; be sure this timeframe suits your oven temperature. When the cookies look like they are beginning to crack on the top and they look moist between the cracks, it’s time to take them out. Let sit on the cookie sheets for a minute or two while they finish baking, then remove from sheets. Makes about 6 dozen.
Be adventurous and experiment with your sugar coating. I’ve added nutmeg, allspice, ginger, etc. It all depends on your taste preference!
Snickerdoodles store well in airtight containers at room temperature. I don’t know if they freeze well, because they don’t last more than 3-4 days around here.
Happy Snickerdoodling!
Toodles!
