Back in the day, before one could peruse the internet to their heart’s content, recipes were discovered by way of family, friends, cookbooks, & good ol’ fashioned magazines. People would actually have magazine subscriptions & look forward to receiving it on a monthly basis. In the early 2000’s, I had a Taste of Home subscription for several years where I would dog-ear pages & highlight various recipes. Sometimes after trying them out, the glossy pages would stick together from various ingredients & on occasion, swell & bloat if too much liquid spilled onto the pages. Good times, I tell ya. I discovered this recipe from one of the Taste of Home Christmas editions & made them several times, gifting to friends, neighbors, & incorporating into cookie trays for work. As the years passed, & a couple of moves happened, the magazines were tossed & the recipe was never written down. The other day, during the annual Christmas baking extravaganza, these came to mind, & with a quick search of the internet, I was reunited with the recipe. Full circle, my friends. Full circle.

These cookies are not to be confused with Snickerdoodle, also a cinnamon-based cookie. These guys are crunchy on the outside & chewy in the middle, with the nutmeg giving it that special oomph.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• additional sugar for rolling

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, & sugars until light & fluffy, about 6 minutes. Beat in the egg & extracts. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, cream of tartar, nutmeg, & salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture, until fully incorporated.

Using a 1 inch cookie scoop, form balls, & roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer to cooling racks.