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Thanksgiving has come and gone which means we’re right in the middle of all CHRISTMAS everything! And at my house that means all COOKIE everything! I mentioned in my Chai Spiced Thumbprint Cookie post that baking cookies with my future mother-in-law was a tradition that we had during the holidays, back before we moved halfway across the world. So naturally, all I want do during this time is drink a chai tea latte, listen to Pentatonix Christmas and bake lots and lots of cookies!
On this weekend’s menu was none other than the snickerdoodle cookie. But I didn't want just any snickerdoodle cookie, I wanted the Starbucks Toffeedoodle inspired crack-snickerdoodle cookie. It’s been over a year since I had one and I had almost forgotten what they tasted like! For some reason SBucks decided to ruin lives around the world and discontinue they’re best cookie ever. But no worries, this recipe lives up to the Holy Grail of snickerdoodles, with a gooey caramel bonus!
When making any type of snickerdoodle cookie, almost all recipes will include cream of tartar. What is cream of tartar, you ask. Well Google defines it as “a white, crystalline, acidic compound obtained as a byproduct of wine fermentation and used chiefly in baking powder.” Still don’t know what that means? It’s okay, me either, but I do know that if you refuse drive to your local grocery store and pick some up, you can substitute both the baking soda and cream of tartar for the equivalent amount of baking powder. It’s that simple, however, you might not get that distinct tangy taste the cream of tartar gives it, so it’s not recommended to substitute.
The gooey caramel in these cookies are absolutely the best part about them and give them that extra chewy bite. I found that chopping them into tiny pieces, about 1/8 of a chew, works well with the size of each cookie (4 pieces per cookie), or use two 1/4 pieces if you prefer larger pockets of caramel.
So that’s about it! This recipe is super simple to throw together and is just so rich and addicting! But just because it’s almost Christmas doesn’t mean we can lose all control so I warn you now, eat in moderation!
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup raw sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup toffee bits
- 6 soft caramel chews, cut into small pieces
Sugar Coating- 2 tbsp raw sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger (optional)
Instructions- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add in vanilla and eggs one at a time and beat until mixed. In a separate bowl, mix flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Gradually add flour to the wet batter and beat well. Fold in toffee bits.
- Mix sugar coating ingredients in a small bowl or plate. Roll cookie dough in sugar until a 1-inch ball is formed. Place on a lined & greased baking sheet. Gently push 3 to 4 small pieces of soft caramel onto the top of the cookie dough.
- Bake cookies in oven on a greased baking sheet for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 2 minutes, then transfer to baking rack to cool.
DetailsPrep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 18-20 cookies
Skill Level: Easy - 1 egg