Recipe: Five-Spice Snickerdoodles

FIVE-SPICE SNICKERDOODLES

1 cup butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons Sugar, divided use
2 large eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons five-spice powder

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly combined.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt and toss with a fork until well-mixed. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, a little at a time, until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally to fully incorporate.

Combine the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar with the five-spice powder in a small, shallow bowl; set aside.

Spoon out level tablespoons of dough and toss the cookies in the sugar mixture to coat evenly. Roll the dough into balls and arrange about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake the cookies until lightly browned but still soft, 8 to 10 minutes (they will puff while baking and then flatten as they cool). Cool slightly before removing to a rack to cool completely.

Makes 60 Cookies
Source: Los Angeles Times, March 5, 2008