One of the most beautiful places in the world is Keukenhof, considered to be Europe’s gardens. Check out this great link from the Daily Mail that talks about a virtual tour by drone of the gardens put together by photographer Albert Dros. Scroll through the brief article and you will see the videos to click on and view the wonderful outdoor spectacle that is Keukenhof. The park is closed for the first time in 71 years but still can be seen through this virtual tour.
I learned about this oddly enough by researching the Dutch origins of the Snickerdoodle cookie. I’m smiling right now just thinking about how the internet leads you off on various other paths so easily. Yes, I’m making an old family recipe book. It is just a short collection of favorite family recipes that I am planning to give to my mother-in-law for Mother’s Day which is fast approaching.
My family name on one side is Schippers which in Dutch means “son of a skipper” or “son of a shipowner.” My family moved to western Kansas in the Midwest United States in the late 1800s from the Volga River region of Russia. They were German-Dutch farmers that lived in Russia under the authorization of Catherine the Great. With all the turmoil of the late 1800s and early 1900s, they re-settled in America.
Snickerdoodles were a popular recipe among Dutch-German immigrants along with other things like Smargs and Beirocks. Here is some origin information about this sweet cinnamon sugar cookie. This is a great article:
https://www.myrecipes.com/cooking-method/baking-recipes/snickerdoodles-history
And here is our family recipe for the cinnamon sugar cookie. It’s a pretty good one:
Snickerdoodles
1 and ½ cup flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
½ cup vegetable shortening
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Beat in the egg and the milk. Stir in the dry ingredients. Cover dough and chill for ½ to 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper. Combine 3 tablespoons of the sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside. Roll the dough into small walnut sized balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until very lightly colored. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
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