I credit my mother with inspiring our family of cooks. She allowed us to prowl her cookbooks and recipe file. She encouraged us to make food for the family, despite the mess that often ensued. She (and Alex's mother) started the tradition of experiment cooking.

Because of Mom's encouragement, I started making whole wheat snickerdoodles when I was eight years old after finding a recipe in a kid’s cookbook. These cookies have a cakey texture and earthy flavor with a traditional cinnamon and sugar coating.

My cooking skills have expanded considerably since those days of messing around in Mom's kitchen, but I still prefer whole wheat snickerdoodle cookies over most others. They are just barely sweet, wholesome and a little boring. Kinda like me. ;)

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Whole Wheat Snickerdoodle Cookies Makes: 2 dozen Time: 20 minutes preparation, 10 minutes baking

½ cup unsalted butter ¾ cup brown sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon cream of tartar ¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons white sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 2. Cream together butter and brown sugar. Add egg and continue creaming until light and fluffy. 3. Stir in vanilla. 4. Measure whole wheat flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt onto creamed mixture. Stir together just until mixed completely. 5. In a small bowl, combine white sugar and cinnamon. 6. Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. Place in cinnamon sugar and cover dough completely. 7. Place snickerdoodles on silpat-lined cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. 8. Cool on a rack. Keeps well.

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