fabulous snickerdoodles!!!

growing up, christmas was always a special time in our house. there would be enormous amounts of baking going on, not to mention all the food being prepared! people would be in and out and there was something always freshly baked waiting to be devoured no matter who or when they arrived at our door. there was one cookie in particular that did not last long in our house, and it was not because we had endless guests, but because it was my daddy's favorite!! as long as i  can remember i loved helping my mom and then baking these on my own for him and it was snickerdoodles! those christmas's seem so long ago now that i'm grown and my dad is gone. yet still every time i bake a batch or see or smell them i think of him. 
a while back i found a recipe for snickerdoodle brownies and i filed it away in my to try recipe pile. if you know me this pile is a rather large place that a lot of my good intentions go to never be seen again. sept marks 18 years that he is gone and i don't care how long it has been it never gets easier and i miss him always. ironically a few weeks ago when he was really on my mind i came across this recipe and i knew i needed to move it from the must try pile to the yes i must keep pile. it was a perfect day, the record heat had finally started to subside and i was really needing a day in the kitchen to bring my spirits up, so i set to baking and i will tell you when the kitchen filled with the aroma of cinnamon and sugar (and the notre dame football game playing on the tv, another of my dad's favorite things) i know my dad was smiling somewhere and i starting smiling too. needless to say they were fabulous and a great twist on a already great classic. they will never replace the cookie in my mind, but i know my daddy would approve. just to make them a little more decadent we served them warm with vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce.

snickerdoodle brownies


2 2/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
 



1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. . In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat until well blended.
4. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
5. In a small bowl, combine the white sugar and cinnamon.
6. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the batter in the baking pan
7. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until the surface springs back when gently pressed. Remove from oven and let cool slightly on a wire rack. While still warm, cut into squares




so i hope this recipe brings you a smile and a warm, yummy feeling in your tummy, i know it did for me.
oh, and one more thing, i have another person that these will always remind me of too.