Every year for the last three of four years I’ve been a part of a cookie swap to benefit different causes and every year I try out a new cookie recipe to swap with friends. I’ve made Hazelnut Lace Cookies, Ginger Creams, and last year Chocolate Gingersnaps. This year Josh chose snickerdoodles and then I decided to change them up a bit and made Salted Caramel Snickerdoodles. We made them twice, perfecting the recipe on second go. Now I am excited to share them with you and with our friends at the swap!
This year, the cookie swap was with a group of gals from our church, Missio Dei, along with some of our friends and neighbors. The money raised goes to an outreach for the Red Light District in Salt Lake. Yes, there’s a red light district here. Unbelievable, right?!! I’ll tell you a bit more…
Salt Lake City is no exception to the problems of prostitution and addiction. A group of women have started reaching out to the women in these areas by helping meet needs and giving them dignity wherever and whenever possible. They supply them with anything from a warm shower to a warm pair of gloves.
It’s easy to feel like we live in a place void of these types of issues but reality is no city is free from this. We can either choose to see or choose not to see. Our little cookie swap was just a small thing we can did help supply more resources to care for women in our own city who are in great need. And I hope to turn on the light to this issue for you today as well.
Snickerdoodles seem like such a bright a cheery cookie compared to the subject matter on this post. Sorry for that in advance but I thought it was worth talking about. Our church, Missio Dei, also put out this video about the issue of prostitution facing our city. You can watch it here.
Hope you all find something to give back to this Christmas season!
Salted Caramel Snickerdoodles Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt, divided
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 dozen caramels*
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cream together butter (at room temp) and sugars, then add eggs one at a time.
- Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt, then add this to the butter mixture.
- Using a small cookie scoop or a table spoon scoop out dough into a ball, flatten slightly then add a caramel (cut in half if they are really big). Sprinkle the caramel with sea salt, top with more dough, roll the dough around the caramel into a ball.
- Combine the 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon with 1/4 teaspoon sea salt then roll the balls into the sugar/ cinnamon mixture.
- Place balls 2 inches apart on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.
Notes
What a great way to help people and celebrate the holiday. Thanks for sharing.
Holy wow. Those look amazing!
Thank you so much for including me in the cookies exchange! These cookies were delicious, I’ve been craving snickerdoodles ever since!
is that slovenian salt? 😀 i’m so proud of Piran 😀
YES!! And we love it!! I’ve been using it on everything lately.
Oh Becky, these look amazing. I’m sure the cookie swappers were psyched to go home with a plate of these! Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to you too Kelley!
I am in love with these! Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Thanks so much Debra!
Thanks for writing about this, Becky 🙂 It was so fun to host with you!
thanks Haley! I think it should definitely be an annual tradition!
this is an amazing snickerdoodle. yum!