What is a snickerdoodle?

Is it a sniglet? A Snicker's bar? What's that you say...it's a cookie?

Yeah, I started an investigation this week on a cookie. That sounds sort of rediculous, but it's true. So, I was offered this cookie at work called a "snickerdoodle" - Yum! I pick up my cookie and quickly realized the cookies do not contain any snickers ingredients at all...nuts, chocolate, caramel...etc.

So why the name?

I took one bite of the cookie and it was delicious. Full of shortbread and cinnamon flavors...but no trace of snickers or doodles...so I began my investigation (thank's Google!)

It seems the actual cookie was introduced to the United States in the late 1800's. And the name? The Joy of Cooking claims that snickerdoodles are probably German in origin, and that the name is a corruption of the German word for "snail dumpling" (Schneckennudeln, or cinnamon-dusted sweet rolls)

Ahh, there it is! That makes much more sense now. Cause, before I read up on these tasty cookies, I was going to boycott them on the name alone. (But I secretly didn't want to boycott them becuase they taste so good!) I think I"ll rename them "The Cinnamon Sugar Cookie"...that's essentially what they tastes like. A sugar cookie, rolled in cinnamon sugar and baked till it's golden. This will be the next batch of cookies I bake. Want one?