I’ve always been partial to cinnamon-flavored treats, ever since I was a kid grabbing cinnamon sugar pretzels from Auntie Anne’s (still my favorite). I also love Christmas, and all things associated with the holiday. It’s no surprise, then, that my favorite cookies are snickerdoodles!

Four years ago, when I moved into my own apartment with a huge kitchen (ah, Phoenix, I miss you sometimes), I started dabbling in baking. Although most of my creations came out of a box, I found a snickerdoodle recipe on Ambitious Kitchen (still one of my favorite blogs!) and just had to try them out.

Let me just tell you how wonderful these cookies are: They’re soft and fluffy, with just the right amount of crisp on the bottoms. The snickerdoodle flavor is strong and delicious. And best of all? They’re easy to make, even for a baking rookie. Ever since that fateful day in my Phoenix kitchen, I’ve made these cookies at least a half-dozen times a year (sometimes even outside of the Christmas season!) I even get requests for them at parties – they made an appearance at Friendsgiving this year, as well as a cocktail party last weekend. I’m so glad to have an easy way to trick my friends into thinking I have a knack for this!

You’ll have to pop over to get the recipe (and stay on Monique’s site a while; it’s lovely!) but let me tell you a few of the secrets (shhh!): brown butter. Greek yogurt. Chilling the dough. It takes a couple days to make these properly, but I assure you: They’re worth it.

What’s your favorite Christmas treat?