Five Spice Snickerdoodles

We’re on Day 8 of this year’s 12 Days of Christmas and while in the song the narrator receives eight maids a milking, I’m bringing more cookies, which I think is a far better gift to get.

I love putting twists on familiar classics, and today’s recipe allows me (and all of you) to do just that.

Snickerdoodles are one of my favorite types of cookies, largely because in my mind, they’re not too distant cousins of sugar cookies, which are my all-time favorite. The major difference between sugar cookies and snickerdoodles comes to down both flavor and texture. The classic sugar cookie is usually just flavored with vanilla, whereas snickerdoodles feature the addition of cinnamon. Also, sugar cookies can be soft and chewy, but they can also be thin and crispy. Classic Snickerdoodles are always thick and chewy, thanks to the incorporation of an ingredient called cream of tartar in the dough. They also have a noticeable tangy aftertaste to them that’s hard to explain, but if you’ve had them before, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

I could have just made regular Snickerdoodles for this year’s series, but I was really intrigued by a recipe I saw on Food Network several months ago where the classic dough was given a twist with the addition of an ingredient called five spice powder.

Also known as Chinese Five Spice, five spice powder is actually a spice blend of five or more ground spices that are typically used in Chinese cooking. The five flavors of the spices are said to refer to the five traditional Chinese elements. Typically five spice powder contains varying amounts of ground cloves, star anise, Chinese cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, and fennel seeds, which are used in both savory and sweet dishes.

I’ve used five spice before in savory applications myself and loved it, but when I saw this recipe, I also thought that it would make for a really great spice to incorporate into a holiday baking treat.

So far as cookie recipes go, this one is is pretty straightforward and easy but there are two important steps to follow to make sure you get the best results.

First comes down to the proper creaming of the butter and sugar, as this ensures that enough air gets into the dough to make them soft and light.

Secondly, and this is actually a rule I follow for MOST of my cookies– give the rolled cookie dough an overnight rest in the fridge. One of the biggest banes of a baker’s existence are cookies that spread into flat pancakes in the oven, and in my experience, the number one cause of that is because the dough wasn’t allowed to chill throughly. It really does make a difference.

My baking instincts are usually pretty spot on, so when these came out to be delicious, I can’t say I was all that surprised. The texture was exactly the way a snickerdoodle should be; thick, moist, and chewy. The coating of red sanding sugar give them a pleasant crunchy ‘crust.’ Finally, they definitely have that signature tanginess that you recognize in a snickerdoodle, but this time it’s even further enhanced by the sweet, spicy and almost licorice-y flavor of the Five Spice.

These would be perfect for a cookie swap, cookie boxes, a holiday gathering, and shipping. Plus, they just look festive.

Day 1: Holiday Style- Biscuits & Gravy

Day 2: Cranberry Pie Bars

Day 3: Pryaniki

Day 4: Iced Lemon Gingerbread Cakes

Day 5: Peanut Butter & Chocolate Biscotti

Day 6: Gingerbread Fudge

Day 7: Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Day 8: Five Spice Snickerdoodles

Sharing at Fiesta Friday #515, cohosted this week by Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook.