Joy Ludwig-McNutt knows her way around a kitchen. The notable Charlotte, North Carolina pastry chef not only teaches novice bakers and pros alike how to knead the perfect dough for pizzas, she also teaches them how to fix a focaccia gone wrong, and how to make classic macarons without too much fuss. Chef Joy was made to be a baker – a gift she inherited from both of her grandmothers.
Among her favorite things to bake? Christmas cookies. Snickerdoodles, to be exact.
“Snickerdoodles were one of my favorite Christmas cookies to learn as a young girl,” says Joy, who enjoys putting a modern spin on cookies. “They both had German ancestors and I think this cookie reminded them of their home country.”
This year, Chef Joy celebrates the season, as well as her German heritage, by sharing her Snickerdoodle cookie recipe. And after all the delicious food and excitement of the holidays concludes, she looks forward to one more thing: rest.
“December 26th is my favorite holiday,” she says, “because I can relax post-Christmas!”
recipe 
yields
Makes 30 cookies
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1½ cups sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
2 ¾ cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon or vanilla extract
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup granulated sugar plus 2 Tablespoons of ground cinnamon
Ingredients
For the cream cheese filling
For rolling
steps
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- First, make the cream cheese mixture. In a large bowl using a handheld or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, flour, and vanilla extract together on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Place the mixture into a 12-inch piping bag or use a 1-quart storage bag. Cut off a small tip and pipe teaspoonfuls onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Freeze for at least 1-1.5 hours before using.
- To make the cookie dough: Using a KitchenAid mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, place the sugar and butter inside the bowl, and cream well on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Slowly add in the eggs and vanilla or lemon extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again and mix for about 1-2 minutes until combined.
- Then, add in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt, mixing just until combined.
- For best results, wrap the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Then using a #24 or #30 cookie scoop (both measure a little over 1 Tablespoon), scoop the cookie dough and place onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Then, using your hands, flatten each ball into a 2.5-inch disc. Place the frozen cream cheese in the middle. Pinch the dough around the filling and roll into a smooth ball. (Note: this process can get messy, so wear plastic gloves, if possible.)
- Drop each ball into the cinnamon-sugar mixture and coat well.
- Place the balls onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper, about 3-inches apart.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the cookie scoop that you used, until they are just firm around the edges. The centers should remain soft. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
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Recipe by
Joy Ludwig-McNutt of Charlotte, North Carolina -
Contributing City
Charlotte
