Sweet Spot

Bleeding-Heart Snickerdoodles

Ahh, the humble Snickerdoodle. On the surface, this unassuming cookie doesn't seem like much. It is a reliable baked staple you can turn to like an old friend. But therein lies the trick. There is much more to Snickerdoodle than meets the eye. Sure, Snickerdoodle is sweet, but the subtle spice of cinnamon gives this buttery friend a memorable bite. To put a twist on this classic cookie, I added a strawberry jam filling. The sweetness of the jam plays nicely with the cinnamon's heat. The name of the cookie? It seemed appropriate because I'm planning on bringing this batch to my Macbeth cast tomorrow . . . if there are any left.

Ingredients
- 1/2 c. vegetable shortening
- 1/2 c. butter
- 1 1/4 c. sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 2 1/2 c. flour
- 1/4 c. corn syrup
- strawberry jam
- 1/4 c. sugar
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking pad. Set aside. In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together shortening, butter, 1 1/4 c. sugar, vanilla, and corn syrup. Add eggs and mix on high until batter is well combined and smooth. With mixer on low, add baking powder, salt, and flour.

In a small bowl mix together 1/4 c. sugar and cinnamon. With a tea spoon or cookie scoop, take dollops of cookie dough and create 1 1/2" balls. Roll in cinnamon-sugar mix until outsides are covered. Place dough balls, evenly spaced on prepared cookie sheet. With your thumb, make a small indentation in the center of each ball and fill with a small (about 1/2 tsp.) amount of strawberry jam. Bake in oven for about 9 minutes. Let cookies cook completely on metal rack. Store in an airtight container. Eat and enjoy with milk and friends!