Up-Scale Snickerdoodles

What happens when you come across a recipe of such brilliance that you can't bring yourself to change it, with the exception of only the most minute irrelevant details? Do you copy it verbatim and send praise and thanks to the creator? Do you make minor edits to the recipe and call it an "adapted?"

How do you take something great, and make it your own?

At the end of last week, one co-worker requested some muffins or cupcakes and another requested cinnamon cookies, more specifically the Cinnamon Roll Hamantashen I brought in a few weeks back. Challenge would have been accepted, had I not already discovered the solution at How Sweet Eats.

Snickerdoodle Cookie Cupcakes: Half cookie, half cupcake... Genius!

Since neither the idea, nor cupcake recipe were my own, I had to find another way to Young Idealistic Baker-ize them.

So... I embellished!

I topped each cupcake with a crisp Snickerdoodle Cookie, and then I let myself get carried away and added another layer of frosting... and then another cookie... and then more frosting.

Layer upon layer of cinnamon goodness contributed to the elevation of a fantastic idea and recipe to these delicious, indulgent, and positively sinful Up-Scale Snickerdoodles!

Up-Scale Snickerdoodles (recipe adapted slightly from How Sweet Eats):
Makes 15-16 Cookie Cupcakes

cookie layer:

• 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees 
• Beat butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth, about 3 minutes
• Add egg and vanilla, and mix until incorporated
• Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon and add to butter mixture
• Mix until dough comes together
• Optional: Add a teaspoon of milk if needed (I skipped this step)
• Refrigerate dough while you make cupcake batter.

cupcake layer:

• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

• Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes
• Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined
• Combine dry ingredients in a bowl
• Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk to butter mixture and mix until just incorporated 
• Line muffin tins with cupcake liners and press about 1 of cookie dough into the bottom of the liner
• Even out the dough with the back of a non-stick sprayed spoon (or be messy like me, and use your fingers)
• Spoon 1-2 heaping tablespoons cupcake batter onto of cookie dough 
• Bake cupcakes at 350 degrees for 16-18 minutes

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe adapted from How Sweet Eats):
Makes enough for 15-18 cupcakes

• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 8-ounce brick cream cheese, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

• Cream butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy
• Mix in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until incorporated
• Add vanilla and cinnamon and mix until well combined

Assembly:

Pipe Cinnamon Cream Cheese frosting onto each Up-Scale Snickerdoodle and top with a Crispy Snickerdoodle Cookie. Stop there if you'd like, but if you're feeling adventurous, top with another layer of frosting, another cookie, and more frosting!

It may seem like overkill (because it is), but the crunchy cookie really brings the ensemble together nicely.  One or two more cookies bring the level of decadence up...

and up... and up...

Happy Baking!!

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