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Several snickerdoodle cookies with figs on a Santa cookie plate.
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5 from 6 votes

Figgy Cardamom Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe

These classic Snickerdoodle cookies are all dressed up for the holidays with figs, orange zest, and cardamom. This chewy Snickerdoodle recipe also produces a tender cookie. That combination makes this the best Snickerdoodle recipe I've ever made.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Refrigerate the dough10 minutes
Total Time43 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Any
Keyword: snickerdoodle cookies
Servings: 36 cookies
Calories: 140.2kcal
Author: Susan Pridmore

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425˚F and line a baking sheet with either parchment paper or a silpat.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 cup of Baker's Sugar, all of the brown sugar, dry milk powder, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and 1 teaspoon of the ground cardamom.
    Use a whisk to more evenly disperse the baking soda through the flour and sugar. Whisk in the orange zest and minced dried figs.
  • Whisk together the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and stir using a large spoon to form a dough.
    Once all the flour mixture has been absorbed by the liquid, stop stirring. Continuing to stir can toughen the baked cookies.
    Refrigerate for 10 minutes. It's fine to refrigerate for longer, but be sure to cover the dough with plastic.
  • In a small bowl, stir together the remaining cardamom and sugar.
  • Roll the slightly chilled dough into 1 ½" balls. I weigh mine - and make them 1 ounce each. Roll the dough balls in the cardamom - sugar mixture and place them on the baking sheet 2 inches apart. These cookies spread.
  • Pro-Tip: If you want to prevent your cookies from spreading as much, slide the cookie sheet into the refrigerator for 15 minutes to chill before baking.
  • Bake for 7 - 8 minutes, or until firmed up around the edges, a little cracked on top, and golden in color.
    Move the baked cookies to a cooling rack, but feel free to help yourself to a couple while they're still warm.

Notes

👩‍🍳 Detailed Ingredient Information

Here's a little more information on some of the ingredients you may have questions about.

Baker's Sugar

Baker's Sugar is an ultra-fine sugar that dissolves more quickly into the dough. This keeps you from over-mixing the dough, which is important if you want a soft texture. Note: This is not the same as powdered sugar, which is much more fine.
You can use regular granulated sugar, if that's what you have on hand, or pulse the granulated a few times to make it more fine. Pour 1 cup of granulated sugar into the bowl of a food processor and whirl like crazy for 20 - 30 seconds.

Milk Powder

I recently came upon this trick for getting a more flavorful baked product that's softer in texture. Just add 1 tablespoon of dry milk powder to the dry ingredients when baking a cake, cookies, or bread. No other changes are needed.

Dried Figs

Do not be tempted to use fresh figs in this recipe, as the texture is completely different. I use Sun-Maid Dried Mission Figs, which I can always find at my local market.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 140.2kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 1.9g | Fat: 5.7g | Saturated Fat: 3.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1.5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 29.1mg | Sodium: 104.3mg | Potassium: 74.3mg | Fiber: 0.6g | Sugar: 12.2g | Vitamin A: 184.9IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 15.6mg | Iron: 0.7mg