📖 Instructions

1. Before you begin, get that oven preheated to 375°F (190°C). It needs to be nice and hot when your cookies are ready. Also, grab your baking sheets and line them with parchment paper. This makes for easy cleanup and prevents sticking.
2. In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer), combine 1 cup of softened unsalted butter with 1½ cups of granulated sugar. Beat them together on medium speed until the mixture is beautifully light and fluffy. This step is crucial for incorporating air, which gives your snickerdoodles that incredible cloud-like texture, so don't rush it! It should look noticeably paler, almost whipped, and feel airy.
3. Now, crack in your two large eggs, one at a time. Mix well after each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure everything gets properly combined. You want a smooth, cohesive mixture here.
4. In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: 2¾ cups of all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar (this is key for that classic snickerdoodle tang and chew!), 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Make sure these are well combined before adding them to your wet ingredients.
5. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to your wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix! Overmixing can develop the gluten too much, leading to tough cookies instead of soft ones. Stop as soon as you no longer see streaks of dry flour.
6. In a small, shallow bowl, prepare your cinnamon-sugar coating. Combine the remaining ¼ cup of granulated sugar with 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon. Give it a good stir.
7. Now for the fun part: rolling! Scoop out rounded tablespoons of dough. I like to use a cookie scoop for consistency, it's about 1.5 tablespoons. Roll each scoop gently between your palms to form a smooth ball. Then, roll each dough ball generously in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, making sure it's fully coated.
8. Place the coated dough balls about 2 inches apart on your prepared baking sheets. They will spread a bit, so give 'em some space.
9. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Here's the trick to soft snickerdoodles: they should look *slightly* underdone in the center when you pull them out of the oven. The edges will be set, but the centers will still look a little soft and puffy. If you wait until they look fully golden brown, they'll be hard and crunchy once cooled. Trust the process!
10. Once out of the oven, let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. This allows them to set up without breaking. After 5 minutes, carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Or, you know, grab one while it’s still warm. I won't tell. Enjoy your perfectly soft and cloudy snickerdoodles!