The Melting Teapot

I was in the mood for baking last night, but there were only very basic ingredients in my pantry.  I turned my attention toward a very basic cookie – the Snickerdoodle.  In my experience, the best recipe for these comes out of my oldest cookbook: the Better Homes & Gardens "Red Plaid" Cookbook.  As you can see from the photos below, my 25-year-old copy is very tattered and stained.

For those who didn’t grow up on them, Snickerdoodles are similar to sugar cookies but with two important differences: (1) the balls of dough are rolled in cinnamon-sugar before baking, and (2) the dough is made with a half teaspoon of Cream of Tartar.

Cream of Tartar is one of the quirkier items in a spice cabinet; it is more about texture and volume than it is about flavor.  It provides lift when beating egg whites, and it can make baked items fluffier and creamier. In Snickerdoodles, the Cream of Tartar creates a softer, thicker cookie than a regular sugar cookie.  I think it also gives it a bit of a sharp aftertaste that lingers long after the sweetness is gone.

A Quick Aside

Before writing this post, I had no idea that Cream of Tartar is actually a by-product of winemaking.  The term “tartar” is from “tartaric acid,” which is only found in grapes.  Cream of Tartar is collected from sediment produced when making wine.  Wine enthusiasts are probably familiar with those little chains of crystals,  or “wine diamonds,” that sometimes form on the bottom of a cork in a wine bottle.  This is actually Tartaric Acid or potassium bitartrate, the unpurified form of Cream of Tartar.

Photos and more information can be found here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tartaric_acid

Back to the Cookies

I now have several more Snickerdoodles than we can probably eat right away, so I placed them in a container to freeze for future teatimes.  That’s when one of those serendipitous moments occurred.  Hmmmm…a bunch of delicious cookies, sitting right next to a container of decadent Dulce de Leche ice cream… These were crying out to be combined into a favorite treat of mine, Ice Cream Sandwiches!

It only took a few minutes to let the ice cream soften enough to be easily scooped, then I sandwiched the caramel-swirled ice cream between two Snickerdoodle cookies.  Voila!  Ice Cream Snicker-Sammies.

Wine Pairing?

I know that many people use dessert or ice wines to pair with sweets, but I always find that to be a bit of a sugar overload.  My preference is for the stouter, nutty orange-caramel notes of Madeira.  Some of my favorite Madeira wines are available throughout the U.S. from the Rare Wine Company.  They carry great aged madeiras, and they also bottle their own RWC Historic Series.

We’ve ordered these for delivery in the past, but recently a local distributor has been getting a few bottles out on the shelves of local wine shops. Madeira might seem expensive at first, but a little goes a long way.  It also lasts a loooooong time, since it is a fortified wine.  You don't need to make it airtight or even worry about heat -- just keep it on your shelf, or stick it in a cupboard.  It will be just fine.

I’m going to have Jeff stop after work at  Seattle Wine Co. to pick up a bottle of  Bual. Dessert tonight will be Snicker-Sammies with a small glass of Madeira.  I can’t wait! 


If you’d like to find out more about my favorite fortified wine beverage, take a few minutes to listen to this interesting conversation about Madeira, recorded by NPR’s “All Things Considered.”

Madeira, a wine for the ages