Ingredients

Directions

1) Sift together flour, baking soda and cream of tartar in a medium bowl and set aside.
2) Using a standing mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream the butter on medium speed until pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl and the paddle. Add the 1-1/2 cups sugar, the 3 tsp ground cinnamon, the salt and the vanilla. Cream on medium speed until it is smooth and lump free, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.
3) Add the egg and beat on low speed for 30 seconds, or until fully incorporated. Do not overbeat. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4) On low speed, add the flour mixture. Beat until all the dry ingredients are incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scraped down the sides of the bowl. Remove the dough form the mixer, wrap it in plasic film and chill for at least 30 minutes. (Can keep in fridge for 1 week or in freezer for 1 month. Thaw frozen dough before baking.)
5) Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Adjust the rack to the lower third of the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
6) Combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the remaining 1 Tbs cinnamon in a medium bowl. When the dough has chilled, pinch off pieces of it and roll into 1-inch balls. Drop the balls into the cinnamon sugar, coat them throughly and then place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Alternate the rows like a checkerboard.
7) Bake one sheet at a time for 12-15 minutes, or until the cookies look dry and feel firm, turning the front to back halfway through the baking. Remove from the oven and carefully slide the parchment directly onto a work surface before storing in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.

Adapted from Sherry Yard’s The Secrets of Baking