The Best Snickerdoodles

Brianna's week. The coldest week of the year. Negative four overnight. Truck barely started. Tuesday was a long shift — second-shift overlap on a build target. Cleared it.

Pop's in the recliner. Tigers on. Sugar in range this week. Sunday at Mama's. She made greens with hambone the way she has since 1985.

Meatloaf Tuesday. Half beef half pork. Glazed with ketchup and brown sugar. Mashed potatoes underneath. Old school.

Aiden's 10. The youth basketball league. I'm coaching. He's the best player on the team and he knows it. Zaria's 8. Helps me cook on a step stool. Has opinions about the seasoning.

The week held. The kitchen held. The chain holds.

Aiden had practice Tuesday and Thursday. I drove. He shot threes for an hour after.

The drive home Friday was the long way around. I took Outer Drive past the lake. The water was still. I do not always notice the water. I noticed Friday.

A neighbor down the street gave me a tomato plant Saturday. He grows them on his porch. Said he had extra. I put it next to the back step where it gets the afternoon sun. Detroit gardens are improvised victories.

The custody calendar holds. Aiden and Zaria alternate weeks. Brianna and I co-parent without drama now. We do not always have to like each other to do this right.

Stopped at Eastern Market Saturday. Got chicken thighs, bacon, a watermelon, and a pound of greens that I did not need but bought anyway. The vendors know me by name now. Three of them asked about the family.

A reader wrote in about the smothered pork chops. Said her late husband loved them. I wrote back. I told her about Pop. We exchanged three emails. She's in Saginaw. She's coming to the city in the spring.

I took a walk around the block Sunday morning. The neighborhood was quiet. The trees were the trees. The light was good. I waved at three porches. The porches waved back. Brookline holds.

Mr. Williams across the street had a heart scare. He is okay. We are all watching each other now. I took him a plate of greens and chicken Wednesday. He said, "DeShawn. You're a good neighbor." I said, "We're even, Mr. Williams. You shoveled my walk in 2024." He laughed.

Filled the propane tank Wednesday. The smoker is the only appliance I baby. Wiped it down. Checked the gaskets. Checked the temperature gauge. The smoker is mine the way Pop's torque wrench was his.

A song came on the radio Tuesday — old Stevie Wonder — and I had to sit in the truck for the rest of it before I went into the store. Some songs do that. Detroit is a city of songs that do that.

The kids next door knocked over my trash cans Tuesday night. Their dad made them help me clean up Wednesday morning. Good man. The kids apologized. I gave them each a Capri Sun. Cycle complete.

Mama left me a voicemail Wednesday. She said, "DeShawn. Don't forget Sunday." I had not forgotten Sunday. I have not forgotten Sunday in twenty years. The reminder is the love. I called her back.

The grass came in fast this week. Cut it Saturday morning before the heat. The mower had been sitting all winter. Took three pulls to start. Once it ran, it ran. Some things just need patience.

Plant ran clean this week. The line ran. The body held. The paycheck is the paycheck.

The basketball court at the rec center got refurbished. New floor. Plays different. Bouncy. I shot a few from the elbow before practice Wednesday. The knee held. The shot fell short.

Zaria has opinions about the seasoning — she always has — and by Saturday she was already asking what we were making next. After a week that ran that cold and that full, I wanted something she could do most of herself on that step stool: roll the dough, coat it in cinnamon sugar, set it on the pan. The Best Snickerdoodles are that recipe. Simple enough that an 8-year-old owns it, good enough that I’ll eat four before they cool. The week held. Might as well finish it sweet.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 27 min | Servings: 36 cookies

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons granulated sugar (for rolling)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (for rolling)

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar together with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
Add eggs and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract until fully combined.
Combine. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until a soft dough comes together. Do not overmix.
Make the cinnamon sugar. In a small bowl, stir together the 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.
Roll the dough. Scoop the dough by rounded tablespoons and roll each portion into a smooth ball. Roll each ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until fully coated.
Bake. Place dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are just set and the centers look slightly underdone. They will firm up as they cool.
Cool. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They should be soft in the center with lightly crisp edges.

Nutrition (per serving)

The Best Snickerdoodles — Something Sweet for the Week That Held