Snickerdoodles!

Remember when you were a kid and someone's mom used to make Snickerdoodle cookies?

Not my mom...

My mom only ever made Italian Cookies at Christmas. And the occasional Chocolate Chip Cookies. It wasn't until I got older and moved out of the house and my mother really began to make other cookies.

And still only around Christmas.

Any rate, remember those Snickerdoodle cookies?

They were those light little round cookies sprinkled with cinnamon on top.

They were always so yummy. I always wanted to make them, but still never have.

The closest I came is making Snickerdoodle cupcakes. The recipe (posted below) found on Cupcake Fun.com.

An easy enough cupcake, the butter cupcake batter making a deliciously light textured cupcake. The frosting was totally not what I was expecting. I expected a buttercream-esque. Not Meringue Pie -esque.

I guess I should have known when the frosting recipce called for 3 Tablespoons of Meringue Powder. I have used the Wilton Buttercream recipe which calls for Meringue Powder so was expecting that. I have never made actual Meringue anything but I guess now I can't say that anymore.

I can't stand Meringue. Frosting that is. I am probably the only person on the face of this earth that actually scrapes the Meringue Frosting off my Lemon Meringue Pie.

YUCK!

The funny thing is my husband loved these cupcakes. And he is a classic tastes sort of guy. He doesn't like buttercream but loved the meringue on these cupcakes.

This was also my first foray into filling a cupcake. I have the filling tip #230 and while I thought it was easy enough I realize that I did not fill these with enough of the Cinnamon Cream Cheese filling as it was lost in the cupcake. Lesson learned.

See for yourself...

But for now, I'll stick to the cookies!

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

For the Butter Cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
5 eggs
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
3/4 teaspoon No-Color Almond Extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In mixer bowl cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in vanilla and almond flavor. Mix flour with baking powder and salt.
Add flour mixture alternately with milk, starting with the flour.

Pour into prepared pans. Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on rack; remove and cool completely before decorating.

For the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Filling:

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup milk


In large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon and milk. Beat with mixer until well blended. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Fluffy Boiled Icing:

3 Tablespoons meringue powder
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup water

Beat meringue powder and 1/2 cup cold water until stiff, about 4 minutes. In microwave safe bowl stir sugar, corn syrup and 1/2 cup water. In microwave bring syrup mixture to a boil (approx. 5 minutes). Remove, let mixture cool slightly (1-2 minutes).
Slowly add syrup to meringue mixture. Beat on HIGH for 4 minutes.

For top of range: Mix sugar, corn syrup and water in 2 qt. saucepan. Bring to boil; cool slightly and follow directions above.

Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top of the icing for a traditional flavor!