These cookies are great any time of the year, but they couldn’t be more fitting for a night in with warm sweaters, fuzzy socks, and Halloween movies.
Using Clarksburg Chai-der Hard Cider in these chewy little delights expands the range of spices used in a traditional snickerdoodle. We still top the cookies with a cinnamon and pumpkin spice blend, but putting the cider directly in the dough keeps the flavor alive throughout.
Use an electric mixer to combine both sugars with the softened butter. In the same bowl, beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add in your Chai-der Hard Cider. Next, add your dry ingredients. If you’re not used to baking with cream of tartar, it’s what keeps the cookies chewy. Cream of tartar prevents the sugar in the dough from crystalizing, so they don’t get too crispy.
In a separate bowl, mix up your topping blend. Then, roll your dough into balls, evenly coating them in the topping before placing them on your baking sheet. Set the dough by putting the sheet in freezer for a few minutes while the oven preheats. Bake until the edges are golden brown, and the center is set. This dough can also be prepared a few days ahead of time and frozen to save you some time before baking. Just defrost in the fridge prior to rolling the dough balls and coating.
P.S. If you want to make your Chai-derdoodles gluten-free, substitute the same amount of gluten-free flour for the all-purpose flour.
